Cuore del Cielo
by J.C Jackals
Summary: AU. Tsuna was once quite happy and active, but that was before his Sky was sealed and he was crippled. Through trauma he awakens a secondary Flame that ultimately leads Reborn to tutoring a different Decimo. [Bisexual!StrongButMostlyClueless!27. ToughMotherBear!Nana. Slow Harem. Canon Deviation.]
1. Chapter One

**WARNING: Swearing. Slight character bashing but none of the beloved main. OOCness.**

 **IMPORTANT NOTE: To put this very bluntly this story is indulgent of my whims. Characters develop a bit differently than they are in canon (though largely remain the same in personality), and Tsuna? His life will lead him to developing backbone and the strength to be himself and become a protector earlier on. He's not going to be a total sugar puff like many (certainly cuter than mine) fanfics make him out to be. He'll have a lot of bite and be quite OOC compared to canon!Tsuna, though CdC Tsuna will still have his idiot moments and flaws. He's very influenced by his life in this my fanfiction and I also want to portray him as human, and to be honest he won't be the Everyman Trope that Tsuna is, not entirely. He's going to be a lot like Nana in this story (see ending note after reading).**

 **CONCERNING THE HAREM: I say as much later on, but romance** **is** **a thing but not** **the** **thing. I concentrate more on character than romance, but there are plenty of hints (some that qualify as bricks to the face) of multiple characters (as the story goes on) being attracted and or drawn to Tsuna. In other words this will not be a quick romance.**

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 _ **Some people will always need help. That doesn't mean they're not worth helping. ~ Meera Reed (GameOfThrones).**_

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Young Sawada Tsunayoshi had been an endless bundle of energy with the nimbleness of a squirrel.

He'd been a smart child who excelled in class and liked to raise his hand. He often pulled kids into games of epic make-believe, and in some ways he had been a benign ruler of the playground, and not just because he came up with some of the best games and helped organize his fellow children into what roles they might do best with. He'd been naturally athletic and adored swinging around on the jungle gym of Namimori Elementary, and nine out of ten times he won Cops and Robbers regardless of which side he was on thanks to him being such a Speedy Gonzales. Though he didn't like conflict, and hated the wobbly feeling he got, on multiple occasions he found the courage to put himself between bullies and their targets. At these times he could be pretty darn scrappy if they tried to hurt the kid with him right there.

Young Tsuna adored the Italian language upon hearing it from a CD his mamma played for him on his first birthday. By the age of four he was abnormally fluent in Italian, leaving his Japanese notably less refined at this time. He was also good with a pen and pencil and could often be found copying pictures from his mamma's shoujo manga, or his father's few Shonen Jump volumes. Slowly but surely his art skills were improving, especially given how much praise his mamma gave. One wall in the master bedroom was plastered with Tsuna's colorful pictures.

Tsuna readily admitted to himself he didn't love his father as much as his mamma. The man, despite being perfectly kind and adoring with his mamma (as she rightly deserves!), had become a bit more distant with him as the years passed and while he still hugged his son, there was something always nagging the boy in his presence. Tsuna began to ponder things most children did not bother spending brain power on. Iemitsu, while a good man who loved his wife dearly, simply had nowhere near the same level of love for his son, and of that Tsuna was certain in the same way he was certain that he could sit and draw, with just enough details to be distinctive, that squirrel he saw eating a nut on the porch last week. Maybe Tsuna had been a happy accident for one parent, and if so he could deal with that since his mamma had the biggest heart ever and she gave more than enough love for two.

Starting from the age of four to a month before his fifth birthday Tsuna had gotten a total of seven visits from a strange old man wearing neon bright Hawaiian shirts that looked particularly stupid on him in Tsuna's opinion, but the straw hats looked cool enough. Several times the kid had almost asked for the elders hat because there was a good chance he would give it over due to Tsuna's age. As a self-rule the little Sawada tried not to manipulate anyone who hadn't hurt him or one of his friends.

Tsuna had been a very open child who welcomed people of most personality types, and as another personal rule he rarely pushed anyone away unless they gave him a Bad Feeling. He loved to laugh and he even played a few harmless pranks on his mamma, and one not-so-harmless prank on Iemitsu by putting laxatives in his coffee for driving his mamma to tears by being away for five months. In short, on the surface Tsuna was an average child who had been, more or less, universally liked if not viewed with neutral eyes. He had been happy.

On the seventh visit from the old Weirdo-Who-Watches-Him-Too-Much Tsuna's life took a tumble off a cliff and square into a shitty tar pit.

The usual visit began with the old man talking to Tsuna in smooth Italian while the child watched with barely interested eyes that did little to hide the niggling mistrust he felt. Despite Iemitsu and the old man both giving off a similar warmth to what Tsuna felt inside himself, the boy simply couldn't relax near old man Call-Me-Grandpa Timoteo. His ghost-whispers, or Feelings, came from a deep and instinctual part of his psyche and he always got a sense of Beware!Beware!Beware! from Timoteo. If it weren't for mamma Tsuna would happily spend all day either in his room or perched in a tree and keeping watch for any bad people coming to hurt his mother. What really bothered Tsuna about both his father and the old man is how they held an effortless grace and moved with eerie precision. It looked like they could slap off a head as easily as shake a hand (not that the boy thought this in particular, he was simply unsettled by them).

Ten minutes into the visit Tsuna escaped into the backyard to water his vegetable garden and the thriving bush of dog-roses his mother planted before his birth. As usual he could hear some inconsequential chatter from the six men who always accompanied the old fogey each time. Tsuna liked Ganauche the most but that was mainly because Ganauche was most easy on the eyes, not that Tsuna completely understood why he liked how the green tie wearing teen looked, at least at this age. Mainly he really liked just how cheerful and full of laughter he seemed. Happy people made him feel happy.

A nice climb up the big old oak tree in the backyard left Tsuna feeling right at home and none of the men noticed his silent ascent until he literally came face to face with a new squirrel as he reached for another branch. There was a three second delay before the tiny beast screeched like a monster and lunged at him, startling Tsuna so much he lost his grip and fell. Ganauche and the equally youthful Yellow Tie cried out but it was too late to catch him, Tsuna had tapped into his raw fear and a scant few seconds before he landed on the ground he was wreathed in Sky Flames that dramatically softened his landing, as well as charred the grass.

There were few things that scared Tsuna more than the thought of his mother hating him. With that display of strange power he discovered that he was terrified of scaring away his mamma, because he had to be a monster, right? He sat there in a charred circle, bawling his eyes out as he curled up on a shaking lump on the ground. The old man appeared with Iemitsu and Tsuna was scooped up into the arms of an honestly concerned, and not to mention strained, looking father who rubbed his back and gently shushed him. The following memory has always been crystal clear:

Timoteo lifted both hands and they flared with a too-soft looking murky orange flame so different from the clear and rich fire that had saved him, and he apologized to Tsuna in a solemn voice. In the next ten seconds he had his hands pressed to Tsuna's chest and forehead and a terrible cold washed through him, sucking away the natural warmth he had always had. The cold doesn't last though, some heat returns, a heat that feels like his fire, but so different and motionless in a disconcerting way. It felt so horribly alien that Tsuna shuddered before fainting.

When Tsuna next awoke he found his mamma with him in his bed, and she was cradling him close with a slightly pinched look on her brow. She continued on sleeping as he slipped out of bed but since she reached for something to hold Tsuna put his big frog plush into her arms. She really looked like she needed the sleep. Unfortunately this was the wrong course of action because a minute later he attempted to walk down the stairs for a glass of milk and fell. His first ever clumsy accident resulted in what felt like a full-body ache, a horrible agony in his shoulder, and a stabbing on in the back of his head where his skull collided with the wall that, years later, still has an obvious dent. Warmth trickled thickly down his neck as he lay slumped, twitching from pain, and trying to work through the total shock.

His complete lack of coordination and balance had been terrifying enough, but that fall down the stairs left him far more battered feeling than a free for all at his school's playground when Hibari Kyoya wasn't there. Once the shock wore off he cried for the first time since he was two, and when he tried to move his injured arm the pain in his shoulder ripped a loud scream from him. As he was about to call for his mamma the door to his bedroom slammed open and she rushed out with a yell of his name, and the horrified look on her face was mirrored by the sudden wail that he could not keep in.

One trip to the hospital later had Tsuna's head bandaged and his dislocated shoulder treated. Under his clothes he had so many cold patches stuck to numerous bruises it felt uncomfortable, but the bruises on his bones were the worst. Nana was beside herself, terrified for her precious Tsu-kun who delighted in climbing and leaping around trees in the park like a squirrel. Nana couldn't deny that something had gone very wrong on this visit, and that she couldn't shake the feeling of harmless seeming Timmy being the reason. Tsuna had always been remarkably sharp, asking his mama to be careful with this or that person, and without fail her precious boy had been right. After seven visits where she puzzled over the look of unease on her baby's face...

The choice was easy: Should he try getting into contact with her boy for whatever reason it was forbidden without her constant presence. If she could have talked her husband into it she would have him cease talking to the elder about their child, but she supposed she had to be reasonable to some extent.

Iemitsu returned a week after his departure with Timoteo. Finding Tsuna bandaged, heavily bruised and with a fractured arm on top of twenty stitches for a large cut on his forehead was startling. Puzzled and horrified, he asked his wife why his son, who never had more than a few scrapes on his hands and knees, looked like he'd walked away from a war. Nana was barely in control of her own fear and worry, but she informed Iemitsu that whatever happened on that man's last visit did this to their Tsu-kun. Iemitsu remained at home for three months before he went off to 'become a star' until pressing Mafia business brought him back.

During those months Tsuna had regained not an ounce of his agility, nor his previous happiness. He consistently came home dirty, battered, and far too often he had to call his mamma from the school office to have her pick him up after one too many accidents. He lost all his friends and game-buddies, bullies began targeting him, and his grades had fallen so far it was heartbreaking. The only things that didn't change were Tsuna's Italian, his loving disposition toward Nana, and his lingering talent for art. He retained his two passions at the very least even when he lost the dexterity to sew and safely handle most kitchen utensils without causing himself harm in some way. Hell, sometimes he stabbed his hands or arm with his pencils.

It was at this point in Nana's life as a mother that the natural sweetness of her heart grew an edge. It was clear that her baby needed her more than ever and if she had no choice but to be the sole parent she would do her absolute best. Iemitsu was a star in her life, but Tsuna was the sun and she would do everything in her power to keep his light from dying.

 **o o o**

At the age of eight and a half Tsuna, after many rough drafts and multiple exhausting rewrites, sent a letter to his father of his own volition. It was the first and last time.

 _"Dear Mr. Sawada._

 _It's your son, the one who inexplicably began tripping down the stairs and landing himself in the hospital at least four times each week. Please excuse the bloodstains, my stitches tore a little when I fell on the stairs. I don't feel like rewriting his again. Ahem. To continue, it's your son who suddenly can't handle a kitchen knife without soon needing stitches (hurt myself with scissors, not that you care). Your son the walking health hazard who is a danger to everyone and himself. I have lost ALL of my friends, I am relentlessly bullied, I am_ _ **miserable**_ _, and mamma has become scary in an awesome way when dealing with the parents of bullies. She's got this Honey and Cyanide Smile that I've been trying to emulate._

 _She's too good for you. By that I mean even if you were the human incarnation of Izanagi-sama you would still be unworthy._

 _On that note I should say I don't completely blame you. It's Lucifer of the Hawaiian Shirts and Straw Hats that messed me up. Yes, I am aware of what it implies when I say Lucifer. I blame him. I don't like him. I really tried not hating him, I even went as far as trying to pretend I don't have emotions because hate feels so, so ugly. But I can't do that, I'm an emotional person who will explode if I bottle it up. So here: I would go as far as saying I hate Lucifer to an unhealthy degree. I'm grateful that Lucy hasn't visited once since he effectively_ _ **castrated**_ _me doing whatever he did, and I'm glad because I won't have to risk adding "Has Attempted Homicide Via Butter Knife" to my list of Failures, which includes accidentally tripping into mamma and having her spill boiled water on her and myself and putting the both of us in a hospital for bad burns that have left_ _ **her SCARRED**_ _. I have tripped while crossing the street with her and nearly had us both killed, I've almost exploded the stove where before I could make myself scrambled, remember?_

 _Three months ago I knocked the TV off its stand and onto me. I won't leave it to your imagination and I'll put it into gruesome detail: I dislocated my shoulder again, mercifully the other one. My arm broke in two places, I fractured my collar bone, and I broke three ribs. Just three more broken bones on top of the several dozen before._

 _Happy yet?_

 _Let me reiterate: I_ _ **loathe**_ _him. I don't much like you either for that matter. The both of you are like the bullies that shove me onto gravel that cuts into my face and hands; only you [both] are several levels above the malicious cruelty displayed by kids in my grade. At least I'm sure_ _they_ _don't fully understand the long term affects of their actions like you and Lucifer do. And if you allowed whatever happened to me WITHOUT doing the research and went in blind, there's a chance I'll forgive you. If this was done with full knowledge you both are effectively dead to me. No respect, no love, simply disgust for you and your existence. There's only so much I can forgive and the fact that you feces-munchers have put so much ugliness into my heart just makes it all the more difficult if not impossible._

 _I would say please don't come home but that's silly. You appear to have disappeared off the earth save for a handful of phone calls and six letters a year. I have sincere doubts that you will return because someone brave faces their problems, not leave it because they can't stand what they've done. Useless, crappy little me has to make mamma as happy as possible while trying not to accidentally kill her thanks to you and Lucifer._

 _PS. I've been burning all your letters and gifts the that I don't like. You've kinda turned me into a pyro. Good job! Also, I'm pretty amazed I haven't managed to burn the sand in the sandbox, but give it time. I appear to be soundly cursed, thank you. Honestly I'm not sure how mamma hasn't noticed me burning stuff since she should be able to see me from the window, but I'm grateful. It's therapeutic._

 _PS.2. I became very emotional here. I won't apologize. I hope you felt worse than I have at my lowest. If I want to be as bad as you both I would honestly question whether you care enough to even think of me and how I have literally nearly died three times in the last_ _ **three**_ _months. I meant to say something here. Right. As cynical and ugly as I feel I am now, I will be careful to NEVER hurt someone like you both have done. Ever. Death seems like the better option than becoming like Lucifer and doing anything without considering whether it could seriously hurt anyone._

 _PS.3. I suppose you could say my ultimate goal is to be your antithesis, but that would require me to go Dark Lord on the world since I suppose you guys aren't_ _that_ _bad. I'll settle for being a better man than you and Lucifer, but especially you Iemitsu._

 _PS.4. Mamma still loves you, and I know you loved her more than you ever loved me. That doesn't bother me. She's your world, right? The least you could do is visit mamma. Visit for her. Please._

 _Sincerely and hoping for soul-deep pain,_

 _Matsuno Tsunayoshi. (No, mamma hasn't changed our surname. I like it better.)"_

 **o o o**

A reply would never come, and nor would Iemitsu visit until a certain day. The few already strained phone calls would become even more agonizing than before, and Tsuna learned to be out of the house even at risk to himself whenever Iemitsu called.

 **Reviews would be really, really appreciated. I'd love to have four or five before I upload the next chapter. :3**

 **[[** **E D I T** **: Nov, 9th, 2016.**

 **About Tsuna being so OOC: To be perfectly honest that is something readers will have to deal with throughout this story. It's about a very different AU Tsuna who, ultimately, experienced different things in his earlier life. He's going to be different. He is, however, going to be similar to canon!Tsuna in some ways (though specific ones will become less and less noticeable). This one thinks of himself as an ugly little bastard, but he's really very kind no matter how badly he thinks of himself. He's also going to have claws.**

 **PS. I hope it's obvious, but this Tsuna mentally functions far better at home. ( Nov 9th, 2016 )]]**


	2. Chapter Two

**NOTE: The chapters become longer and longer as I go on, so... yeah. Warning~!**

 **THANK YOU TO: Sassy Tsuna. general zargon. Mazlum. aperez09. XxShadowfangxX. Azurame Neve. belladu57. And Belle'Masque for reviewing! And to everyone else that favorited and put this on alerts, thank you too. :)**

 **WARNING: Some swearing.**

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In an attempt to give her boy something to love and be loved by Nana went and bought him a kitten for his eighth birthday.

The sweet little thing often made squeaky half-meows in response to him speaking to her, and though she'd been so tiny at the time she had easily run half way up the wall in pursuit of a laser. Tsuna named the kitten _Piero_ , which is clown in Japanese. His amazing mamma had chosen one of the most unique little beasts there because the cat possessed a gorgeous silver coat, two-toned eyes of amber and green, one front paw with seven toes, a stuffy three inch tail thanks to malformed bones, and a remarkably intelligence.

Tsuna came to adore Piero with every fiber of his being. Looking after the once tiny cat and playing with her somehow gave him an anchor of a kind, gave him something in addition to his mamma to be better for. Having Piero waiting at home for loudly purring (and usually insistent) cuddles, and finding her occasionally waiting at the gate of the school, gave Tsuna some measure of confidence. To his amusement his once little cat had grown very big, very protective, and even more intelligent in two years.

In addition to protecting him from dogs she once chased off a delinquent by mauling him. In retrospect allowing your overprotective cat to attack a known delinquent isn't smart, but Tsuna has had far too many Criminally Stupid days now and they will continue getting him when he least expects it.

This lead Tsuna to experiencing a horrible foreboding from morning to lunch. At this point the curling and nauseating dread in his belly abruptly stopped and he felt a fierce stabbing pain in his head. His pitiful concentration worsened further as his temper inched closer to red-hot, and he quickly claimed a need to pee and fled from the school. He followed his Bad Feeling, ignoring rising and falling nausea when it returned. As he ran through Namimori, slipping into a tumble here and there, he bumped into one particular individual and barely managed an apology as he continued running like mad.

The seal on his Sky flames came with a fail-safe in order to allow his survival. In a normal person it would, again and again, allow him to use the familiar amber flames paralyzed within his Meridian System and use them when the seal detected certain adrenaline and fear levels. Through the fail safe Tsuna experienced the wonderful rush smothered by the reason for it, and his eyes gained a distinctive glow.

Rapidly rounding a corner had Tsuna slipping on something, sending him landing hard on his hands before his momentum had him slamming the side of his face into the harsh asphalt. The pain in his torn scraped-raw hands and left cheek was nothing to the throbbing headache he had, and despite his adrenaline and urge to keep charging forward, somehow he _had_ to turn and see what got him.

It was a familiar white dog-like metal studded collar stained with red.

Tsuna's face twisted into a snarl and eyes flashed brighter as the fear curdling in his stomach turned into acidic rage that had his blood boiling. He was on his feet in a smooth move, running with the same unshakable balance and certainty as in his earlier childhood, and as he neared an alleyway one block away he could hear weak hissing and pained yowling.

His anger spiked and flared, and to the curious (though stoic) twelve year old following him it felt like a wave of warmth which carried a breathtaking rage that nearly drove him to his knees. Tsuna dropped the collar and moved with greater speed and rounded the alley, unaware of the vicious glow in his eyes or the flickering flame on his forehead*. He could smell blood on the air, blood and something burning. He was still moving as that awful smell hit, and in two seconds he took in the six surrounding his cat. Three feet away stood a smoking steel bucket with a faint flicker of fire stood, surrounded by a few cases of beer and empty bottles scattered. Only Kami knows what they planned, it didn't bear thinking about.

His precious Piero was tied up, her quicksilver fur dark with blood and ruined further by knife wounds clear in the mockingly cheerful sunshine.

Tsuna lost his shit and he screeched as he launched himself at them, heading right for the largest offender. He moved so fast he appeared blurred, and heedless of the knife that bastard held Tsuna slammed into him hard enough to send him flying ten feet back into the metal fence, a steel fence that crumpled and tore, snagging the unconscious body as it fell. A searing pain turned out to be the leader's switchblade lodged deeply in his upper arm. Stupidly, though caught up in the adrenaline, he tore the knife out and turned feral, enraged eyes on the frozen delinquents still standing around.

"Get away before I kill you!" Tsuna yelled in a hoarse voice. His usually cherubic face was doing a fair imitation of a demon.

As one the five other delinquents turned away from the skinny little kid not reacting to a heavily bleeding wound to look at their bleeding and unconscious 6'4" and 245 pound leader, and they took off leaving their fallen behind. On impulse Tsuna threw the knife he had and it spun through the air before embedding in the shoulder of one. The future Vongola boss turned away from the scream, ignoring all subsequent yells of alarm, pain, and the scuffle of a fight, and practically lunged at his cat.

His wheezing, perfect and amazing cat. Tied up like a pig in a puddle of her own blood, she twitched and breathed wetly. Tsuna, still in his Flame Mode, reached out to fumble with the thin but sturdy rope before his fingers burned cleanly through according to his desperate will. Free, Piero struggled to her feet with a painful mewl and she crawled close enough for him to catch her as she fainted- unconscious, he told himself, otherwise he could really lose himself. He shifted into a cross legged position and gently placed her in his lap before he hunched over her in hopes of shielding the poor thing from everything bad. His wish for her to get better, to heal, felt like shards of wood digging through his chest.

(Unnoticed behind him, the scuffle between one force of nature and five ants ended quickly.)

As it seemed like her warmth began to fade Tsuna nearly broke, and it brought about a sharper desperation singing horribly through his blood. Wasn't there anything he could do? She was his family as much as his mamma, he couldn't stand to lose her. No, he refused to entertain the horrible thought of his cat's death. His desperate yearning firmed and he tried to will to her the same energy easing the pain of his knife wound. He would give his everything for Piero, he was certain of this, and right as he thought that he felt a strange twist behind his heart before a softer heat enveloped him from head to toe. The slow healing of his arm quickened in a heartbeat and the sting faded immediately. Tearful eyes opened and while Tsuna only then became aware of how uncomfortable it felt to lean so far over the cat in his lap, the way he shielded her from the sun allowed him to see how she was suddenly enveloped in brilliant orange-yellow flames that flickered and sparkled like sunlight off of a crystal.

What caused his heart skip was how the wounds she sustained were rapidly closing and within half a minute there was nothing but drying blood to show for her trauma. Piero twitched in his arms, opening her briefly orange eyes as the gilded flames receded into her, and when she mewled up at him with no trace of distrust or fear Tsuna briefly felt like he could do anything. As though some capricious god decided, no, Tsuna couldn't be allowed that wonderful feeling, he tensed moments later as his flames jerked inside his chest. Piero quickly left his lap, meowing in confusion. He pressed a hand to his chest as the lovely heat of his power writhed until it hurt, and suddenly it was being pulled back into wherever the orange fire came from. This time there was no sickening sense of frozen fire inside, it was being drained away into the ice within his chest. Tsuna's eyes widened and he opened his mouth in a silent scream as terror gripped him. He was useless, an absolute waste, but if he had this amber fire, he could protect his family. He needed power.

What was happening then was the fail-safe sputtering and going wrong. If left as it was, with nothing holding the fragmenting seal, Tsuna might have lost his Sky forever. Fortunately there was still a bit of Timoteo's lingering absence even with the seal breaking - just enough for Tsuna's terror and adrenaline to allow one more burst of brilliant Sky. It wreathed him, swirling sluggishly, and seeping through his entire body in a cruelly comforting show of power.

Deep inside himself Tsuna felt what brought to mind a ripping sensation as his Sky lowered in heat, leaving him feeling weak and shivery. Then the cracked seal began to rip into him and he couldn't help screaming at the pain. Even as this continued and Tsuna slipped to the side, curling up in a tense ball, he dimply felt a growing and almost ticklish heat that rapidly spread throughout his body. To an outsiders eyes he was covered in a violently lashing cloak of green electricity.

This strange warmth began to soothe and fill in the gouges he felt bone deep, and a heavy wash of static-heat rolled through him as the last of his orange fire was devoured by the seal. This new energy circled the cold in his chest settled around it. Tsuna relaxed slightly and he felt... almost safe. There was a Good Feeling about this foreign energy.

Slow footsteps started toward him and Tsuna hurried to stand, moving in a slightly drunken manner. He felt strange and shaky, especially as he was adjusting to what he hoped was an answer to his few prayers. He steadied himself on a nearby crate and rubbed his head as he turned to see who was approaching him.

Low and behold, Hibari Kyoya stood there watching in what was unmistakably a thoughtful manner. Well, it _might_ have been thoughtful, as for all Tsuna knew he could have been planning where to hide his body.

The older boy looked Tsuna over, taking in the fur and blood on his spring-weather uniform, and the absolutely blood soaked long sleeves which had cradled the cat. Tsuna stayed still, trying not to provoke known violent tendencies of the aloof kid, and when Hibari, sans his signature wooden tonfa, reached out a hand and gripped his bloody sleeve Tsuna flinched and tried not to look guilty or run.

One should try not to run if they haven't done anything wrong, and he knew he had done nothing bad.

Even when Hibari took a hold of the same sleeve with his other hand and easily tore the material to get a look at the raised dark scar, Tsuna simply twitched and juggled between looking at the older boys intense eyes and staring at nothing over his shoulder. Tsuna nearly swallowed his tongue when a warm hand came in contact with his arm and a calloused thumb brushed over the sensitive scar. He would have taken off running, damn the consequences of fleeing from a wolf, but Hibari trapped him in a vice grip with the same hand. Later on Tsuna would be disgruntled when he remembered Hibari's hand nearly wrapped around his forearm, but right then it merely had his heart racing from unease.

"H-Hibari-san, I'm sorry for ditching school," Tsuna said, voice rough from how harsh and loud his screaming and yelling had been. "But... my cat needed me more than I needed to be there."

Tsuna was ignored in favor of his scar being touched again. Hibari's fascination for the impossibly healed wound continued until Piero butted her head against the boy's knee and mewled up at him, prompting the animal lover to abandon Tsuna in order to scratch her chin with the hand he bloodied by touching Tsuna's arm. The 'impossible boy' didn't take off running because he would rather the tonfa user not steal his best and only friend.

"I should probably get home... before someone sends the police," said Tsuna, eyeing Hibari and his cat interacting like old pals.

Come to think it Piero often appeared near or just inside the gates, so she and the Violent One had probably met several times already.

"You were on fire."

Tsuna meeped and tried to run away because he knew that was true, he'd felt the Orange Flame on his forehead in the back of his mind. Unfortunately Hibari's hand clamped down on his wrist and the boy was almost yanked into the upperclassman's side. Predictably Tsuna froze, very aware of how close he was to such a mercurial boy, and did nothing to stop Hibari from lifting up his wild bangs. He found no trace of the fire, nor the bright glow in the short brunette's eyes. He huffed and started pulling Tsuna along by the wrist and out of the alley, and straight over the twitching bodies. Tsuna made sure to step on a crotch and one face as he was forced to follow Hibari. One block away the older one stopped and leveled his ever-present frown on Dame-Tsuna.

"Y-Yes?"

"Tell me your address."

For the next fifteen surreal minutes Tsuna was escorted home by the fearsome Hibari while his freaking cat rode on the animal-whisperer's shoulder. When home came into view so did the front garden he still risked life an limb to tend, including the native Japanese roses, fragrant hyacinths among others. Hibari didn't stop there and ditch Tsuna as the boy hoped for. No, he opened the gate and marched him to his own front door like he owned all of Namimori. Fortunately Hibari had the decency to knock. And by knock it sounded more like punching and Tsuna was very surprised the door stood up to the sort of knock he imagined Hagrid would make.

Within moments his mamma had opened the door with her signature 'can warm the world twice over' smile and as soon as she spotted her son covered in dirt and blood the tilt of her lips took on the Honey and Cyanide quality of a Death Promise. Or at least extreme intimidation. Morbid curiosity had Tsuna look to Hibari for his reaction and bizarrely enough there was a look of... satisfaction? Smug I-knew-I-would-be-right-ness? What the hell had Hibari expected when he brought him home? Well, if he'd expected the well disguised murderous aura of a Mother Bear maybe Hibari was having some strange thoughts about Tsuna's family...

"Hello! Come in, come in! Could you make sure my Tsu-kun sits down? I'll be right back!"

Hibari merely nodded and in moments Tsuna was forced to sit on the couch. It was hell on his self-control not fidgeting with the impossible-to-ignore presence of Hibari, but Tsuna managed it by mentally reciting his favorite songs in Italian until his mamma returned. Holding a huge first aid bag shaped like a suitcase and laden with a bowl of hot water and cloths draped over her arms, Tsuna immediately jumped to his feet to help before Hibari shoved him back down and... took the first aid kit himself? What?

Nana smiled her thanks at the boy with genuine warmth and Hibari's surprise showed in the narrowing of his eyes and the slightest pinking of his cheeks. Once she sat beside her Tsu-kun and started cleaning the dirt from his face to uncover some stinging scrapes, the young Sawada pondered why he wasn't fully healed. Perhaps the energy had concentrated on what was most dire at the time, such as his arm and his cat. Hibari placed the case beside her and once more sat down, only now Tsuna could feel his sharp eyes watching every moment.

"Um... m-mamma, this is Hibari Kyoya. He's, uh, he keeps the peace at school with his... his underlings!"

Nana hm'd. "That's nice, Tsu-kun. Has he helped you?"

The boy froze and slid his eyes Hibari's way. No change in usual cold expression. Eep. "...Yes. Sometimes when I'm being bothered-" Shoved around like a useless ragdoll. "He scares off the bullies because they're crowding. Hibari-san hates crowds and loud people."

Nana smiled sweetly at Hibari again. "Well, my little Tsu-kun is quiet and well behaved, I bet that's why you get along!"

Tsuna wanted to laugh but he knew it would come out excessively self-deprecating. That or hysterical. Especially after Hibari actually responded, albeit with a soft grunt.

"When did you two meet?" His mamma put bandaids on his cheek and nose and moved onto his hands. Both were scraped raw from the number of times he managed to slip and fall before finding his rhythm. Tsuna mumbled unintelligibly and his mother went on. "I believe you are Tsu-kun's only friend, Hibari-san, so please take care of him."

Tsuna flinched at the mackerel-to-the-face bluntness of that and played it off as pain from his hand. Great. _Good going mamma, if there's a real bullying bone in his guy's body then you're going to be burying me within the month!_

"... Mine."

Tsuna and Nana turned to stare at him. What?

"Huh?" Tsuna eloquently said.

Hibari gave him a very pointed and 'don't be stupid' look. "You, Momonga, are mine."

Tsuna felt like his head would go boom from how hard he was trying to figure out why the hell he would call him a flying squirrel of all things. The gently prickling energy from earlier washed through Tsuna's body right then and settled in his head, and suddenly everything was clearer.

He could actually think a bit like before the Castration! Tsuna nearly cried from happiness before he was pretty much hit in the face with a memory of a younger Hibari. Tsuna was at the park with his mamma gossiping with other mothers, and left to his own devices Tsuna took to the trees like the forest critter he sometimes dreamed of becoming. Hibari had been napping in a big, old oak tree. Tsuna nearly landed right on young _er_ Hibari as he leapt from the neighboring maple. Hibari opened his eyes and glared Death at Tsuna before saying what had haunted the boys dreams for weeks after that: "Run". The next hour was filled with Hibari channeling his inner ninja the same as Tsuna and, well, there came a the painful whack to the head when he was caught. Tsuna must have blocked the trauma.

As the future Vongola Decimo expected his mamma to do, she merely laughed this off whereas he felt a distinct foreboding. What on earth could Hibari mean by his? Property? His punching bag? Awesome. Enough unpleasant scenarios crossed his mind long enough for his mamma to finish patching him up with her infinite patience.

"There we go, Tsu-kun! Go show your friend the door, please, and I'll start making the gyūdon with extra beef~! Though he can stay over for dinner tomorrow if he'd like!"

Tsuna gave his mamma a hug and shuffled out of the room to wait. He did not feel that rushing the infamous Hibari would be at all of an good idea. When the 'peace keeper' appeared while he wasn't looking and startled him he felt like some supernatural entity was trying to mock him. As soon as Hibari pulled his first shoe on Tsuna had the door open, and they left together. On the porch Tsuna mustered up his courage, told himself that he's only half as No-Good as everyone says (yet still did not believe this) and cleared his throat.

"Hibari-san, wh-why do you say I'm yours?"

"Because." There was this look on his face that said it should be clear why.

Tsuna paled at both his sudden bout of fear and that outrageous lack of logic before he told himself to ignore it. "Thank you for beating those other bastards. And for taking care of Piero when I'm not there."

Hibari raised an eyebrow and Tsuna flushed nervously. "Sh-she wouldn't trust you unless there's previous history between you two."

With that Hibari grunted and headed off. Piero greeted him from her perch on the gate and, to Tsuna's surprise, she did the affectionate headbutt to his cheek and Hibari reciprocated with a minute long petting.

Poor Tsuna wanted the Twilight Zone to go away and never come back.

 **OMAKE**

 **Brought to you by a talk between a friend.**

Young Hibari Kyoya would say he did not have a father and that the man was dead. In all actuality the moron had been weak and unable to take living with his fierce mother who, though largely unable to leave home due to psychological issues, was still a force of nature to be reckoned with. Strength, or people's "fangs", came in many forms, some people had theirs hidden very well, others were all fangs and claws in the form of weapons like himself, and his mother? She had both as well, only her claws could easily slice through a man like butter if she so felt like it.

Young Kyoya knew this for certain because he had seen his mother training in the basement often enough, and he usually trained with her too. If she could slice through the steel armor of a dummy with purple lined knives, she could easily take apart his father.

Now and again Kyoya found himself wanting to see that, especially when he dreamed of the very last confrontation between his mother and the spineless thing.

Though only twelve Kyoya was a very intelligent boy, leagues ahead of his other peers for a reason his mother hadn't yet discussed with him but was very proud of. He was sharp of mind and understood much of the world, especially the pitiful human race and its faults. He also knew his behavior wasn't always socially acceptable, but he would be himself and nothing else unless he felt it worth 'trying something new' as his mother put stepping out of his usual manner.

An example of his intelligence was how even at the age of seven he could tell that the Worm which helped create him had been cheating on his mother with a vastly inferior female, one who wore disgustingly sweet perfume and favored red lipstick.

From the fights Kyoya listened in on with a roll of his eyes at his disgusting progenitor, he learned that the Worm wasn't man enough to cope with his mothers difficulty with leaving the Hibari compound and therefore often berated her for being "weak" and "useless". Unworthy of being Kyoya's mother, which slightly amused the child at the irony of that statement. This amusement crumbled on the evening he last saw his progenitor, when he heard the Worm threaten to take him away from his fierce mother. The boy resisted the urge to invade Hibari Mitsuko's personal fight and break all the Worm's bones through considerable force of will. Instead of doing this he sneaked closer in order to peer into the kitchen.

This would be the first time Kyoya witnessed his mother's normally unflappable calm and aloof manner with the Worm break and her rage was palpable, pressing into every corner of the room and drawing a smile to the strange child.

"You are a pitiful, unfaithful waste of air and life, and you say _I'm_ the unworthy parent. I have raised him, and I love him with all of my heart. I have given him the love _YOU_ should have. Why would you try and take him from the only one who understands him? Your lack of common sense astounds me." She scoffed, rolling her burning rage filled eyes as she leaned on the counter. She, who he inherited all his looks from, had a truly frightening expression even for a former assassin. "I am aware of my faults, you worthless bug, and you should have been smart enough to make a clean break while you could. Now get out before I do something you regret."

Having his intelligence all come from his mother, little Kyoya had smirked and watched with unholy glee as his father advanced threateningly, only for the parasite to yelp and back peddle when his mother pulled out a large knife from the wooden block beside her. With the tables completely turned she had him so frightened he pressed to the far opposite wall even while she made no attempt to approach. "Never threaten a cook in their kitchen, or are you really so stupid as to assume I won't stab you? Old habits die hard, and grudges tend to be forever in the Hibari family unless we really tolerate someone. I will have you know that I have written about scenes like this where the death is agonizing because the stomach acids eat at the wound. Leave before I reenact this and have my family dispose of your cooling corpse."

When the Worm hadn't so much as twitched to leave his mother threw the large chef knife and sank it up to the hilt in the wall beside his head. He ran screaming. As soon as he was gone Kyoya left his hiding place and walked toward where his mother stood shaking and stroking another knife. He cleared his throat and she jumped slightly before smiling lovingly at her child.

"I'm sorry you heard that silly fight, Kyoya, but it was long in coming. He thought he could love me but he wasn't strong enough for either of us." She dropped the blade on the counter and knelt to hug her son closely and stroke his downy soft hair. He hugged back and laid his head on her chest, listening to her fast and strong heartbeat. "I suspect he will still try to take you from me, but don't worry. He can try but I will make sure that all he gets is a lifetime of living on the streets if he dares."

Seven year old Kyoya pulled back and the smirk on his face almost counted as a smile. "Mother, you're too good for him. Herbivores cannot hope to keep up with our kind, you don't need that thing."

Mitsuko had laughed and kissed her boy on the forehead. "Right you are, my sweet Mozu-kun."

Aged twelve and even stronger and smarter than he had been back then, young Kyoya knew power, especially when he could practically taste it in the air.

He was patrolling the rougher neighborhoods of Namimori because he had gotten his school work for the next month done and handed in, so he was there when a tiny scrap of a kid barreled into him and blurted out a distracted apology. That alone would not have caught Kyoya's attention. It was the orange light in large doe-eyes and the strange presence thick around the kid that drew him into following out of curiosity. Curiosity was stoked into a mild obsession when that same feeling tripled and rolled over him suffused with a rage that tasted of blood and bone on the stoic Cloud child's tongue. The taste of murderous intent aside, the feeling of being drawn in was not unfamiliar. He had felt it once before in a park where he... Yes, where he chased this same boy, who he just then thought of as the flying squirrel, or Momonga, through the tree tops.

The young Cloud followed at a run and stopped short of the alleyway and poked his head around to look, as it was not in the predators interests to alert the herbivores to its presence ahead of time. He smirked then because he saw the tiny Momonga body-check a massive delinquent and send him flying like he was made of foam and rubber. He continued watching and felt honest interest stir in him when the smaller child ripped out a fair sized knife from his own shoulder without a wince of pain and declared his intention to commit homicide if they did not leave, then he went and tossed the knife with admirable accuracy as the large herbivores ran.

It was simply not their day. The group of five ugly rats ran right into his claws as he stepped out before them and stared with his stoic expression in place. They stopped short and dismissed him in one breath, making to run around him but young Kyoya was already a monster at this age. His strikes were vicious and precise thanks to countless hours under his mothers tutelage and they barely lasted 20 seconds.

Kyoya turned toward the boy and watched him with fascination only his mother and few others would be able to tell he felt. Fluffy Momonga was hunched over his cat and something hidden by his back was glowing. Seconds later the kid was enveloped in a flare of pale orange flames that, from the Cloud boy's distance, felt warm and invigorating, and a minute later the strange fire was gone and cat was out of its human's lap with a plaintive meow. Mystery Momonga jerked as though punched in the chest seconds prior to another burst of deeper, clearer orange fire. This began to fade again too, shivering erratically, and once it was out of sight the boy was covered in green electricity that faded relatively fast.

This bore study, especially if the strange animal was going to grow only stronger.

With his usual blunt way and forcefulness Kyoya escorted his new fascination home and met with a woman who looked remarkably like Momonga. Her warm smile, quite like his mother's on a good day, morphed into one with hidden fangs dripping with venom when she took in the state of her child. It seemed like there was a family of disguised carnivores living in Namimori. Both only revealed their fangs when in a protective mood, much like his mother when, again, on good days. Bad days left the training half of the compound in need of total repair.

Hearing that the fanged Momonga was unattached and without herbivores to be bogged down by, Kyoya decided to claim him so he could show him how a carnivore does things.

(Not that 'teaching him a carnivore's ways' did a thing since the boy was stubborn to a fault when it came to hitting back.)

 **27272727272727**

 **Right now, as I'm editing, it is November 9th, 2016. Some points I would like to address.**

 **One: Hibari is Flame Active before everyone else. Cloud multiplies, propogating perhaps even things like the force one hits with, or the strength a body possesses. I also gleamed ideas from Skull and I drew from the little that is known of Cloud Flames. ANYWAY, the point is as a Flame Active Hibari would have no problem at all with feeling Sky Presence, and Sky Presence infused with powerful emotion is no small thing. Those who can feel it feel it strongly, though not all to the same degree. Hibari's Cloud briefly Harmonized with Tsuna's Sky, enough to draw attention and intrigue him. He wants to see where Tsuna goes from there and becomes possessive and territorial, but not to an extreme way. As a Cloud I figure Hibari values freedom to move. He won't intentionally "cage" Tsuna.**

 **Two: Damage done in HDW mode was lessoned with the Sun-Resonating Sky healing him and Piero, though I'm sure a great deal of smart cookies figured that anyway.**

 **Three: THE FAIL-SAFE. It's an old Sealing technique passed down in the Vongola from Boss to Boss. All Flame types can be sealed, but some are far more affected than others for reasons as one can imagine. Tsuna's changing the "type" of his Sky forced a bad chink into the Seal and could have caused some bad damage. Fortunately the Lightning stabilized it.**

 **[EDIT: Done November-something. I didn't note it down like I did in ch 3.]**


	3. Chapter Three

**WARNING: Swearing. Picky use of Japanese words for things.** **MATURE SCENE, I repeat, a Mature Scene** **may trigger, I apologize in advance.**

 **N O T E:** **As an AU this Tsuna will be different from canon!Tsuna. Different abilities, different character quirks, different ways of thinking. A lot of you may not like it, and you may really hate this because Tsuna isn't canon!Tsuna, and for that I'm sorry. His Sky will be unsealed** _ **later**_ **on when Reborn appears**

 **Oh, and also there is that** **Canon Deviation** **in the summary, I really mean it. Cuore del Cielo ultimately follows the series but...~! *Ivankov Wink of Doom***

 **THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING:** **Reapergenesis32, general zargon, detramental, XxShadowfangxX, Freaky4eve, Mazlum, sarahgri99, Autore Raita, Not-Gonna-Update, Kuroi Rin, Guest, and Glorilian... To everyone else who put this on favorites and alerts for ch 2, thanks a bunch! :D**

 **Mazlum: There's some insight into Nana's head much later on in the Kokuyo Arc. :)**

* * *

 _ **"Memories warm you up from the inide. But they also tear you apart." ~ Haruki Murakami.**_

* * *

Over the next month Tsuna made some wonderful discoveries.

The static is warm and slightly prickly at all times, he only recently became in-tune with it enough to constantly sense its presence, and though it can't compare to the orange heat, to him it felt perfect all the same. Through trial and error, the latter being him drawing up too much and filling the room which would have metal items come flying at him, he learned that focusing the static in certain areas affected him differently. Super-charging his brain allowed clearer and faster thought, allowed something like the self-awareness he'd had before the Castration and he could cut down on his accidents. Static in the skin made for vastly less bruises when dealing with bullies and doubled as a deterrent because they get zapped. By concentrating on a full-body activation of static he can go fast and react almost instinctively, and is slightly stronger because flushing his body with green naturally reinforces his flesh.

With the blessing of his static Tsuna started helping in the kitchen and doing the things he'd had to stop in favor of not bleeding.

 **o o o**

Being Hibari's 'property' or however that confounding boy really viewed Tsuna, was certainly a change from how his school life before.

Usually twice a week Hibari appeared wherever Tsuna hid with a good book and merely stared his silent command of 'Come with me if you want to live' and Tsuna would find himself forced to climb a tree where he would sit and read quietly beside Hibari as the boy sat on a branch and surveyed the play ground like a hawk, which just about always lead to him leaving said branch and breaking up too-noisy gatherings of kids. Every time Hibari went to peace-keep he would tell Tsuna to watch because he has to learn what it means to be a carnivore, which is to keep his territory peaceful and free of filth, like noisy bullies who stir up the other herbivores. Carnivores must also fight back in some way. They shouldn't bow to what they don't feel to be a higher authority, but they can, if they tolerate someone, consider their request and do it in their own way.

Confused and worried put Tsuna's feelings around the wooden tonfa wielding boy lightly.

Once in a while, when Tsuna could not escape from his bullies, Hibari would appear and break up the noisy after-school disruption. He always gave Tsuna a whack for not defending himself despite knowing that Tsuna purposely did not fight back because he refused to abuse what he has and become what he hates. The only exception to using the Static is when he steps in to distract bullies and lead his on a secretly gleeful chase around Hibari's usual haunts. In short... one might call the 'relationship' between Tsuna and Hibari slightly symbiotic. The former brings herbivores for the resident carnivore to sink his teeth into and occasionally Tsuna even recieved a rough pat on the head like a dog who did good. As irritating as Hibari's habit of petting him was Tsuna was usually more amused by the older boy's awkward interactions with him, which was continued with his mamma of the Poisoned Honey Smile.

On that note, evidently Hibari appreciates power in different forms if his quiet (and most importantly: willing) interaction with Nana means anything. It must be her growing ability to cow others into submission without touch despite looking like a delicate house wife. Tsuna appreciated Hibari's lack of disrespect toward his mamma, otherwise he would have had to get himself bitten to death via defending her.

Tsuna (only half serious) asked if Hibari, as a carnivore, liked meat, and if so would he like some of his mother's beef rice? Hibari ended up eating the entire bento and left Tsuna with his original two salmon onigiri. Ever since then each Gyūdon Night Tuesday, without fail, Hibari walked ahead of Tsuna by two steps and lead him home like it's the expected thing. These are the times that Tsuna feels more in awe of his mamma because she read into Hibari's reserved and cold demeanor and adjusted her sunshine-y love, exercising patience and being mindful of his personal-space rule. This went a long way in gaining the boy's total lack of hostility toward her, and Tsuna hoped that being the focus of his mothers arms-wide-open love gave him something he may not have otherwise. That, however, is Tsuna's Nana-influenced side talking, the side that occasionally gets him all concerned over other people's home lives despite his inability to do a damn thing.

Hibari's visits, including non-Tuesday ones, all coinciding on the days his mamma made a meat-hearty dish amused Tsuna more than it probably should have.

 **o o o**

Namimori is a quiet seaside city in the prefecture of Tokushima. Surrounded by nature, full of clean parks and well-maintained urban areas, the peaceful city boasts a good police force thanks to a certain family. The education in all schools is praised, and recreational acitivities are many. The over all atmosphere of Namimori is part happiness and part tranquility as well, with a number of urban streets holding what the UK and USA call Street or Block Parties on pre-arranged days of the year. The economy of Namimori is also good and for the most part drugs on the street are myth. Namimori is generally considered by certain parties to be among the safest places to live in Japan, but this sprawling city of green and beauty is still where Tsuna found teenagers mutiliating his cat while planning an even worse end for her.

The city is not the perfect haven Iemitsu pictured for his wife and future children when he settled down temporarily. No, the depraved and cruel underside of humanity will always be there in any place, even one like Namimori with such pretty silk wallpaper hiding the black mold.

Tsuna had been feeling quite off all day. He had woken up with a dizzying headache and eyes that simply wouldn't focus through the sleepy haze that tenaciously held on. He ate a good breakfast and had a glass of orange juice, only to nearly throw up after he changed in the upstairs bathroom and was brushing his teeth. Waiting several minutes with a cold towel on his forehead left him feeling marginally better. Sometimes Tsuna could be ridiculously stubborn, and because the class idol Kyoko had promised to bring some home made mini cakes in with her lunch to share with the class, he was stupidly determined to go to school while obviously coming down with something.

Nana noticed that her son was a bit off. His face was slightly flushed and he ate much slower than he usually does. He didn't put up the half-hearted protest he usually voiced when she randomly plays with his hair while he eats, and he even let her fuss more than usual over his lunch. She was worried, but pressing her lips to his forehead only showed a mild fever and so she made him down some motrin and take a vitamin water with him. She told him to call her if he needed to come home and to NOT just brave through the day. Tsuna agreed.

To avoid unnecessary stress at lunch Tsuna ate under what had become known as Demon's Perch because that is, or wasm Hibari's primary haunt. Hibari did not make an appearance that day, and after school Tsuna barely got away from a pair of bullies that had to push him around and cause him to cut his forearm on the rough gravel of a driveway a block from school. Tsuna was in a dark mood while trudging home, vividly aware of the blood dripping down his arm. Once home his bloodied limb had his mamma worried and angry in her quiet way as she treated Tsuna's arm with practiced ease.

As the sky was beginning to turn dark Nana prepared to leave and walk to a convenience store to buy candy for Tsuna. Normally she went alone because she trusted that Namimori is safe, but Tsuna's muffled Intuition, once known as Ghost Whispers in his private thoughts, told him to go with her and he did. They were on their way back under a night sky with not only snacks and sweets but two novels from a second-hand bookstore when they passed an alleyway. Hands yanked them into the unlit gloom and Tsuna quickly found himself being choked by a thick hand wrapped around his neck. His fingers and blunt nails did nothing but amuse the monster nearly crushing his throat.

Not three feet away his mamma, terrified and whimpering, was being held by a different man in the same way only her hands were twisted behind her back. Both of their bags had spilled across the ground. She was staring at him in horror and tears were beginning to drip down her face.

"Stay quiet, kid, and this'll all be over soon for your pretty mom," Delinquent-1 growled from above his head. Horribly, both men wore black ski-masks. It made them look inhuman.

Terror and anger crashed through Tsuna, stealing the meager air he could get. He tried to summon his green electricity but it barely twitched under the combined stress of his cold and the attack. His headache was pounding viciously in time with his heart and he felt seconds from vomiting. Knowing how helpless he was turned Tsuna into a desperate animal, writhing and and trying to scream around the hand squeezing his throat. When he managed to stomp his attacker's foot this did no good.

"Gah! Fuck it, the kid's pretty looking too. We'll have fun with him before his mom."

Tsuna froze in confused fear, feeling like everything he is was turned to stone as Delinquent-1 let go of his neck long enough for his arms to be restrained in one bruising hand and for a filthy hankerchief to be crammed it into his mouth deep enough to nearly choke him. Then his favorite Inuyasha t-shirt was ripped open like it was made of paper and the sweaty hand of the bastard holding him pawed his chest, sending the boy into a frenzy as he struggled and tried to stomp on Delinquent-1's foot. This did not go unpunished. Tsuna felt the bastard's nails dig into his soft flesh and tear across his chest, ripping a muffled scream from him.

Being terrified and distracted meant Tsuna did not see his mamma's face. She had gone stiff, every one of her muscles tensing to the point of pain. Revulsion, fury and terror raged behind her breast as her little boy began to cry and his shirt was ripped. These two men threatened to rape her precious child, they were terrifying him, and after the Delinquent-1 went and shed her son's blood Nana, for the first time in her life, snapped, and magnificently at that.

All the vexation, misery and loneliness she had secretly felt more times than she would willingly say, and all thanks to Iemitsu's ridiculously long absence, had combined with her maternal rage and helplessness, and with the urge to protect her son at any cost, what happened should really be no surprise to the well-informed.

Desperation drove Nana to begin writhing violently and she bit the hand covering her mouth as a smothered part of her heart burst. She paid no mind to the discharge of blue-violet light that flooded the alley and swallowed both delinquents, filling them with more than enough mind-numbing terror combined with all her emotions to cause an overload in their brain. When both despicable men fainted it did not worry her because whatever happened they deserved it, and she rushed to her son, holding him tightly as he pulled the dirty cloth out of his mouth and coughed.

Being held in his mamma's arms made the world right again for Tsuna no matter the previous shock of what he went through or saw. He was safe, the bastards were made harmless by his mamma's mysterious glowing mist, and she was holding him, healthy as can be. He was bleeding, yes, but it wasn't her so that was okay.

Tsuna almost clung to her as she moved away, bending down to Delinquent-1 with a disturbingly cool expression as she ripped off the mask in order to take pictures. She repeated the process with her assaulter, intent on never forgetting this incident, and once back with her son she almost carried him across the quiet street and did seat him on the bench. Tsuna was shaking, even summer evenings could be quite cool, and she removed her pink cardigan and wrapped her small son in it. To Tsuna's surprise his mamma called Hibari after informing the police of the attack.

Five minutes later Hibari appeared with a taller boy at his side, one sporting Elvis-hair. This Kusakabe was sent to handcuff the deliquents and to keep them there, and as a police car arrived Hibari was advancing on Tsuna.

Nana was on the phone with one of Iemitsu's work partners and petting her son's head to comfort him, but she was too frustrated and distracted by the run-around and misdirecting calls that simply would not let her get a hold of her husband, to listen to her son's interaction with his friend. The fact that she had mentioned an attack and still wasn't being put through was highly distressing and somehow not surprising in the least. Regardless of whatever was happening over there, it shouldn't matter more than their son. She shouldn't have to wait for his calls at times like this.

To his credit Tsuna did not try to hide behind his mamma at the angry look on that tonfa-wielding boy's face. He obeyed the silently glared command to show him his damage and lifted his head, clutching the cardigan tighter; Tsuna watched with morbid fascination the play of dark emotions across Hibari's face as he spotted the mess of red and darkening bruises Tsuna's pale, slender neck had. With reluctance the future Decimo opened the cardigan and had to bite his tongue not to whimper at the dangerous snarl Hibari's face then formed.

In a bone-chilling voice soft enough to nearly count as a hiss Hibari said, "Why didn't you fight back?"

Tsuna shuddered, looking pale and faint as he pressed closer to Nana. "C-couldn't. I've felt... sick all day, with a headache and fever. I pr-probably shouldn't have c-come to school."

Hibari's face fell back to the default cold stare as he pressed his palm to Tsuna's forehead and hissed softly. Maybe it was the trauma holding back the blush of a fever but the peculiar herbivore did feel more than abnormally warm. Tsuna felt like he had a fire just beneath his skin. How he wasn't in obvious need of a hospital mystified Hibari and only justified his ongoing fascination with 'his' Momonga.

"Stupid herbivore. If you do not recover from this I will bite you to death until you are literally dead."

Tsuna made a soft meep and quickly agreed. "I-I'll get better! I have to get stronger to protect my mamma." He glared darkly at the alleyway. "I will get strong and I won't let anyone touch her without getting what they deserve."

Hibari eyed him appraisingly before smirking and roughly patting Tsuna's soft and fluffy hair. If the older boy's hand lingered briefly, threading through the silky strands, the younger one was smart enough to not comment.

Days later Tsuna asked his mamma if he could take martial arts lessons. Nana went one farther and entered both herself and her son in the highly praised Tsukinode Dojo, a two years recent establishment. Though Nana did not feel young enough to benefit as much as her son she enjoyed learning Aikido with him in addition to recording family only sessions for Iemitsu to watch, and yet never did send them. While her boy insisted on learning Aikido with her his goal was ultimately mastering at least a portion of MMA. Tsuna thought he couldn't love his mother more, nor feel closer to her, until they both began working hard to be stronger for the other and once again he found himself wondering how a man like Iemitsu managed to ensnare someone like his mamma.

Along with the martial arts Tsuna began to run around the block while exercising his static to gain a longer use of it. The stamina training was a bonus. His Static practice was only helped by him needing to supercharge his brain for an hour straight in each MMA and Aikido classes, otherwise without his static he was No-Good Tsuna through and through. He would run for increasing amounts of time with the green static in his legs and head, and by the time he was eleven and four months old, Tsuna could channel the green into a full-body charge for 45 minutes in counting.

Nana even accompanied him on evening runs, intent on not letting her son alone in even dusk for a good, long while.

 **o o o**

His day started out as average, with a few bullies looking to blow off steam, but fortunately after school Tsuna was cornered by fewer irritants than usual so he managed to easily escape through a gap in the ring of four. Of course, that doesn't mean he did not manage to trip on several solid things (his static wasn't a miracle worker after all) while jogging to the grocery store after school to pick up stuff for his mamma. He rounded a corner and spotted two familiar classmates being harassed by group of three teenagers. Normally this wouldn't bring out Tsuna's smothered rage monster, but Hana had a bruise and a bloody lip and behind her Kyoko was clinging to her and crying.

As he had used up all of his available Sky Flame, his eyes gained a green flicker.

Tsuna calmly placed his groceries down and made his silent way over to the bullies until he stood behind the largest one. Neither Hana nor Kyoko noticed him, but everyone was alerted to his presence when he gave a brutal kick to the leader's knee, causing him to scream and crumple. There had been a muffled crack, so Tsuna was positive he'd broken the bastards leg. Somehow he wasn't too bothered by that.

"Do you know what my useless father would do to you maggots if he saw you roughing up girls?" Tsuna cracked his knuckles and leveled his best Cyanide Smile at them, and he felt a rush of pride when the two others backed up and eyed him nervously. "Since he's old he can't lay a hand on you three, and seeing as I'm a kid I can get away with mauling you so badly you won't leave the hospital for a week."

"Sawada! You idiot, just get out of here and find help!"

"Ts-Ts-Tsuna-san, please be careful!" Kyoko's tremulous voice fed his rage. She was such a sweet girl with a big heart, just like his mom, and both her and Hana (the latter mostly by default, and not without gently chiding comments) had been the only ones to show enough compassion to help him to the infirmary more often than not. To have her so shaken, to have Hana bleeding...

The bullies who could fight found their strength in the girls obviously having no faith in his ability to go against them and Tsuna channeled more static into his muscles and skin. Months of training in MMA and Aikido granted his heightened mental and physical ability more than just a shadow of the instincts he felt with his orange fire. Tsuna dodged out of the way of sloppy strikes, ducked, and he could not be touched by them. The boys were becoming desperate and when one of them took out a police baton Tsuna decided that tiring them both out would do no good, so he punched them hard in the stomach and when they were gasping on the ground he kicked them toward the leader who stared at Tsuna with terror. Only a twinge of guilt wormed its way into the future Decimo's heart then.

"Do you think it's still fun to beat on girls? To try and take advantage of them?" Tsuna said in a soft, dangerous voice as he moved himself to stand between the fallen and the girls. "Are you going to risk someone bigger and meaner than me getting back at you?"

"N-n-no!" Said the leader as he shook one his minions. "I'm sorry! We'll leave now!"

Tsuna shook his head. "No, the girls and I will leave. You have to call for an ambulance and get that leg checked out."

After that Tsuna calmed down and lost the distinct glow in his eyes. He turned to Kyoko and Hana and bowed to them briefly. "May I walk you two to your destination?"

The girls exchanged a look before they nodded. With his groceries in one hand he followed from behind, and as soon as they all rounded a corner Tsuna asked for them to hold on.

"This is f-forward of me, Kurokawa-san, but, um... may I treat you?" Tsuna swallowed hard, ignoring how red his awkwardness was making his face become. "I-I mean, you're cheek is swelling up and-and I have something that can help your lip, so..."

"You have got to be the weirdest monkey ever," said the taller girl with a slow smirk. "But fine, I'll let you help me."

They found a nearby park and sat down. Tsuna pulled his little first aid kit before wetting a bandana and gently wiping at the blood that stained Hana's chin and obscured the wound. He had tiny butterfly strips and this would require him touching her lips and while his face steadily grew an alarming red, Tsuna dabbed at her lip with the dry part of his bandana until he could place the strip. With that done he hurriedly grabbed an instant cold pack and once he activated it he handed it over so she could put it on her swollen cheek.

"O-okay, that's all I can d-do," said Tsuna, hating the stutter in his voice.

To his surprise Hana ruffled his hair and Kyoko, now no longer worrying about the former's injuries, suddenly began praising him for how well he treated her friend. Actually getting compliments from someone not his mamma sent the boy shrinking in on himself and struggling to unlock his tied up tongue. Hadn't he just scared off bullies? Did he not just save them? Come on, show some consistent backbone! He put away his bottled water and placed the wet bandana in a baggy, and as soon as he'd put away his first aid kit and zipped his bag he was yanked to his feet by a smirking Hana. Kyoko had been kind enough to grab his grocery bags and handed them over. His thankful smile was slightly scared but there all the same.

"Shouldn't you be escorting us, monkey?"

"Yeah. S-sorry. Please call me Tsuna."

"Tsuna-san, thank you for helping us! My Onii-chan was kept back today for extra studies with the teacher. Oh, and please call me by my first name!"

"Same here, Tsuna-monkey."

"G-got it. So, where were you two headed?" Tsuna tried not to smile too much at how friendly they seemed now, because by tomorrow he was sure to be alone again.

 **o o o**

The next day Hana and Kyoko shocked Tsuna by nabbing him at lunch and all but dragging him outside to eat with them. They exchanged a few edibles and Tsuna mainly listened to them talking girl stuff, homework, or a movie they were wanting to see on their Movie Night that Friday (unanimously decided on Ponyo among others), and basically Tsuna enjoyed sitting with people who weren't about to start throwing anything at him, or telling him to "be the carnivore he really is".

"Hey, Tsuna-monkey, want to watch some movies with us?"

Tsuna froze in the middle of biting into his onigiri. He turned to look at her, eyes wide and disbelieving. When she merely raised an eyebrow and did not yell 'HAHA, NOT, you actually believed me, loser?' he blushed and nodded, not trusting his words.

The next four days crawled by with Tsuna slowly learning more about his two new friends. Hana disliked macho stupid boys like Mochida and most other guys who threw their "big boy stupidity" around and expected every girl to like and follow them, and then she said Tsuna seemed mellow and less gorilla like than the boys their age. Yeah, it's called being humble and the little Sky had that in spades. Kyoko wasn't fond of fighting, it had gotten her brother into some predicaments and given him a scar, but she was trying to understand and accept that her brother liked the thrill he felt in fighting. She'd read studies and decided that Ryohei was addicted to chemicals the brain made when performing strenuous activities, like fighting or long, long runs. Tsuna then realized that Kyoko was fascinated by medical sciences and learning about the body, partly to make sure her brother ate well, slept when he should, and did not work himself into the ground, and partly because she enjoyed her extracurricular studies.

Hibari livened up those four days by stealing him from the 'noisy female herbivores'. The first time he was dragged away by his uniform shirt the future prefect had waited until they were out of earshot before being openly displeased by Tsuna finding herbivores to spend time with. At first this scared Tsuna because he was worried the Skylark would try to control his life and his choices, but then his tentatively named "friend" went on to say that carnivores tended to gather their own people to call their property, protect, and rule (which really worried Tsuna), so he commended the Momonga on beginning his own 'pack' already. Hibari admitted to not being interested quite yet despite having Kusakabe* as his underling, and Tsuna had the feeling that Hibari had a lot of assumptions and thoughts that would really drive him half-way to crazy town by more exposure.

On Movie Night, which was changed to Saturday, Tsuna was ambushed by his ecstatic mamma and forced to carry a box of rich chocolate cookies in addition to his backpack, which had been packed for a sleepover. The walk to Kyoko's was a bit nerve-wracking. Tsuna knocked and waited exactly twenty seconds before the door was ripped open and he was yanked in by Ryohei, Kyoko's obsessed-with-boxing brother.

"Hiieee! S-sorry, is m-movie night not-"

"Sawada! Thank you EXTREMELY for saving my sister and Hana!" Ryohei pulled the mildly panicking boy into a hug that made him turn to stone. "I've been busy with boxing until now, sorry I haven't thanked you!"

"Onii-chan!" Kyoko came running down the stairs with Hana and tugged her brother's sleeve. "I don't think Tsuna-kun can breathe!"

Hana, meanwhile, calmly pinched Ryohei's wrist in a way that made him drop the poor Sawada who had swirls in his eyes. Ryohei laughed, pulling Tsuna up, and proceeded to go sprinting out the door in running clothes.

"You're brother is interesting, Kyoko-chan..."

She smiled sweetly at Tsuna. "I know, he's so cool and strong!"

Hana laughed and pulled her two friends along. "C'mon, the popcorn is waiting and we have two other movies to watch after Ponyo!"

 **272727272727**

 **\- Tsuna has an affinity for the heat side of the Flames, and because the cold kept his Lightning from leaving him for attacking, his body instinctively used it to burn out the cold in a way.**

 **\- ABOUT THE SEAL: When the whole Piero attacked by thugs fiasco happened and the seal was damaged by Tsuna's creating rudimentary Sun-Type Sky, it created a chink that** _ **could**_ **have caused him to lose his Sky. Instead, when the Lightning basically filled in what had crumbled, it still left Tsuna somewhat open Sky-wise. SKY MAGNETISM is something he still has for the most part, because the stabilized seal lets only minute amounts through. One could say this Sky Magnetism is causing the bullies that like to bother Tsuna.**

 **NOW... I cannot even word how happy I am that chapter 1 and 2 went over so well, that people are enjoying what I so enjoyed writing! Here's hoping chapter 3 goes over okay too! I'm happy with how I've written it but also pretty nervous over how it will go over. Please read, review, and don't be afraid to complain as long as there's some legit critique in it!**

 **E D I T:** **Nov, 9th/16. I've read over this, changed some things, and fixed the AN's.**


	4. Chapter Four

**THANK YOU TO: Natsu Yuuki general zargon, Blazin'Blue, Guest, Freaky4eve, aperez09, XxShadowfangXx, Guest, Demon Hound, SomeRandomPerson, Kuroi Rin, Sceonn, sympatheticassassin, Krysta, and Gentle Snow.**

 **GUEST: I agree about the Flame thing too, it's fun to write. Although keeping him from blowing through enemies and making scenes interesting is difficult. His first real challenging** _ **fight**_ **(aside from Hibari, Nobu and another) will be Xanxus. Fighting the Varia boss will bring more out of him than ever before.**

 **To the other Guest and SomeRandomPerson: Thanks for commenting! :) As for updating other stories... well all but one are permanently dead, and that one is on hiatus because my Muses rebel against thinking too much on ATLA whenever I open the window ((barely have 400 words down for ch 20 D: ))**

 **sympatheticassassin: I think I pouted when I found your PM disabled. Well, I'll say this: Tsuna doesn't outright reject it because of what his Intuition is telling him, and because of how his friends support him, and because one voice speaks up against Reborn saying Tsuna would sooner change or stop the mafia than become the boss of a bloody group like the Vongola. There are a number of ways for Tsuna to make his own path in this fic, and part of that is undermining some of the Nono's strongest alliances because of what that old man did.**

 **Krysta: I imagine Hibari looking at Iemitsu like one would a cockroach while outside walking. Disgusted and put off, but not driven to kill it because it's not worth the effort. I'll say this, when Iemitsu returns during the Ring Battle arc he's not going to be meeting the wife he still sort of had the last time he visited. As for Hibari's reaction to Tsuna's pack growing... well. As long as the boy keeps them in line, you know? xD**

* * *

 _ **"It is better to be violent if there is violence in our hearts than to put on the cloak of non-violence to cover impotence." ~ Mahatma Ghandi.**_

* * *

Now and again Tsuna's Intuition acted up for things and people unrelated to him. When it did he followed where it lead because he usually found someone needing help of some kind, and that person would now-and-again help him in some way, usually to find a teacher to help stop bullying, or even help him with classwork at lunch as repayment.

Why break a benificial cycle, right?

On a terribly rainy day in June after school, on one of the few days where Piero did not meet him on the way home, he was hit with a nagging feeling far more insistent than usual and he soon found the normally cheerful and ever-smiling Yamamoto Takeshi. He was sitting in on a bench in an empty park with his umbrella laid across his lap, and the hunched over, shaking posture of someone completely defeated made Tsuna want to give him a big hug. To compromise on that Nana-ish impulse Tsuna walked over and potentially sacrificed his health to hold his umbrella above Yamamoto's head. When the budding baseball star lifted his face Tsuna's worry increased at the nearly empty expression.

"You shouldn't be out here in the rain, Yamamoto-san. You'll get sick."

Rich but dulled brown eyes blinked as a bit of life entered them, but he still did not smile. "Dame-Tsuna? You're getting soaked. Why are you walking around in the rain?"

"I-I had a feeling. Now... um, if you don't want to go home you could... warm up at my place."

Yamamoto's eyes gained a bit more life as he really looked at the short boy getting soaked to the bone to shield him from a bit of rain when he was already drenched. He'd seen him running around getting chased by groups of bullies for as long as he could remember, but Tsuna never asked for help; he simply accepted what was thrown at him and rolled with the punches. He always seemed so alone until Kyoko and Hana began eating lunch with him, then he started smiling at school. Yamamoto didn't really watch Tsuna often, but he could see a difference between how the student body sees him and how he really appears to be, at least in this instance.

"Yeah, I'd like that, Tsuna. Thanks."

30 minutes later Tsuna had a shivering Yamamoto standing inside and by the front door to protect the wooden floors from more water abuse. Tsuna had rushed off as soon as they made it inside and he returned with a big and fluffy towel that he then went on tip-toes to easily wrap around Yamamoto's shoulders. He had his own equally fluffy towel around himself, but on the shorter boy it looked a bit oversized. Tsuna looked Yamamoto over before he asked him to wait, then the young Sawada headed upstairs to find some old pajama's of Iemitsu's that would somewhat fit. He just had to cut a good chunk of the legs off. After changing into his own fluffiest pair he hurried back down and tripped, tumbling down with a loud yelp.

"You okay, Tsuna?" Yamamoto bent down and pulled the boy up, with a concerned face. "That was a bad fall, you could have hurt herself."

Tsuna pretended he did not feel like a human shaped tomato and muttered a thanks. "A-anyway, here. They'll be big on you but at least you'll be warm."

"Thanks." Yamamoto flashed a small but warm smile. "You're a great guy, Tsuna."

"Uh, wh-wha... c-come with me, you can change in the bathroom!" Tsuna forced down how flustered Yamamoto made him, and guided him to the downstairs area and promptly fled to the kitchen where he rubbed at his red cheeks. There, leaning against the counter, he called out, "I'm gonna make us some tea!"

Tsuna took the muffled answer as 'please and thank you' and put water in the pumpkin themed kettle, grabbed two bags of green tea, and pulled out the jar of dark wildflower honey from where he hid it under the sink.

Yamamoto shuffled into the kitchen not long after and sat down at the dining table. He had a smile on his face, different from the genuine tilt to his lips he had just a minute ago. It was so forced and looked like it hurt, and more than that Tsuna could only wonder why Yamamoto looked like his world had shattered around him. He appeared lost and a bit confused, and Tsuna was trying to separate what his Intuition was telling him and what he was seeing. The only thing he knew for sure was that this guy shouldn't be alone, he needed to be around someone, anyone, even the Health Hazard of Namimori Elementary.

Neither of them spoke for a time. With water boiling on the counter and the mugs already prepped with a tea bag, Tsuna sat rigidly in his seat to keep from fidgeting and watched his hands twist in his lap so he wouldn't try to stare a hole through Yamamoto in search of the whyfor. Once he heard the water begin bubbling in the kettle Tsuna hopped up and took it off so he wouldn't hear the annoying ding! at the end. He poured the water with a mildly shaky grip as his mind raced to come up with a reason for Yamamoto's misery. He placed the mug in front of the young baseball player and laid a spoon on top, then gestured to the honey.

"Um... my mamma..." The boy flinched and Tsuna's stomach sank. "Sh-she used all the sugar in making cookies t-today. If you want sweet t-tea you'll m-make do with honey."

Yamamoto nodded and placed two tablespoons in and Tsuna did the same, whereas normally he put what others would deem too much. The gentle clinking of the spoons chased away the silence and seemed to mix pleasantly with the pounding rain hitting the kitchen window. Filled with nervous energy, and trying not to channel too much of that side he refuses to call maternal (and since he can barely recall paternal love, that had to be it), Tsuna stood and fetched the cookie tin from the counter and placed exactly six fat crescent shaped chocolate treats on a plate to put between them. Yamamoto said his thanks and nibbled listlessly on one, forgoing that fake smile completely. Patience is what Tsuna forced himself to exercise then, and it was both easy and difficult when faced with Yamamoto looking like he needed a thousand of his mamma's heartwarming hugs.

"I know you wanna ask," he said after two cookies. His eyes remained on the tea in his hand, and Tsuna tried not to perk up in worried interest. "She's gone. My... my mom is gone."

Tsuna felt like the air had grown too thin in the kitchen. Judging from his raw pain gone is not strong enough a word, she was probably dead. Thinking of his own mamma dying left Tsuna struggling against a panic attack and he pinched the sensitive skin of his wrist with his nails. Yamamoto didn't need No Good Tsuna, he needed the boy Tsuna could be on occasion. The one that saved Hana and Kyoko and leads little packs of bullies to Hibari as 'sacrifices' to the carnivore. Tsuna breathed deep, held it, and released a shaky sigh before he stood and tried to convince himself that rejection is normal and that the worst Yamamoto could do is beat him up, which is as likely as Piero giving birth to parakeets. So Tsuna stood up and shuffled his feet until he stood beside Yamamoto, then he tapped the boy's shoulder.

"I-I know we're not even friends, Yamamoto-san, b-but, I know that hugs can help, a-at least a bit."

Yamamoto's expression went from an empty sort of polite interest to something more alive. He looked away and turned his tea on the table as he seemed to deliberate for what felt like minutes long seconds, then he stood and shyly opened his arms for the short boy. Tsuna, forcing back any reservations on hugging people not his mamma, did not hesitate and tried to give the sort of hug he would have for her whenever she felt so lonely from Iemitsu never being there. Tsuna gently stroked Yamamoto's back and listened to the boy's strong heartbeat as it kicked up in speed enough to be noticeable. Yamamoto's arms twitched and slowly moved to rest against Tsuna's back, and briefly the latter marveled at how it felt to hug someone less soft than his mother. Immediately Tsuna wanted to hit himself for thinking of that when Yamamoto, whose arms were tightening and beginning to shake, was obviously suffering.

Tsuna felt Yamamoto's chin rest on his head, and given how the other was nearly seven inches taller than his pathetic four feet four inches it was easy to use Tsuna as a chin-rest. He kept rubbing the taller boy's back, intent on giving him some comfort before his mamma came home and unintentionally rubbed salt into the wound. When hot tears soaked into his hair and touched his scalp Tsuna nearly jumped in surprise before he tightened his hold on the baseball enthusiast.

Minutes later Yamamoto let go and stepped back, rubbing at eyes and looking off to the side with a red face sporting an embarrassed pout. Tsuna patted his arm and sat down before grabbing his own towel and scrubbing at his hair almost violently. When he was done he noticed Yamamoto watching him with curious eyes no longer looking so empty and broken. In fact, as Tsuna removed the towel and shook his head, he watched Yamamoto grin slightly and release a weak laugh.

"You look like a a human fluff ball, Tsuna."

"Oh, well thanks, that's exactly what I need to hear," Tsuna said with a little grin.

"It's cute! Don't be offended!" Yamamoto said this with a small and genuine smile and Tsuna felt on top of the world for having put it there.

Later that evening, after his mamma came back from a Yoga class with a few groceries, she greeted Yamamoto with the same warmth, minus the hug, as for her son. As predicted Yamamoto closed off (just a bit) at the arrival the Sawada matriarch, but he did not run away. When he finally called his father at Nana's insistence it was five minutes of being scolded before he was let off with a warning. Nana later drove Yamamoto home in her green Nissan (Terrano Regulus) but not before the boy promised Tsuna he'd hang out with him at lunch. In this way Tsuna gained a friend he otherwise would have had to wait years for, and life was getting more and more enjoyable as he grew close to Hana, Kyoko and the school's baseball star.

Finding that pretty much the entire student body appeared baffled over his becoming good friends with Yamamoto on top of Hana and Kyoko as well was entertaining.

The day Tsuna helped his new friend was also when he began calling his mother madre instead. Using the Italian word for mother, to him, was a term meant as affectionate and as a way to stay connected with the Italian he doesn't have the opportunity to speak much. Nana went along with it, content as long as he still acknowledged her as his mamma.

 **o o o**

Tsuna could not put his finger on why but he appeared to attract the worst sort of attention more often than not.

Having two girls as his best friends made for a few awkward instances, like when Hana took amusement from embarrassing Tsuna on shopping trips. The incident where she wanted to see how red his face could get after dragging him to a clothes shop to pick out a training bra is one example. Still, aside from nearly passing out seven times in the last two dozen trips, most of which he secretly enjoyed, Tsuna wouldn't give up his friendship with them for anything.

He wasn't sure how he saw Kyoko, who was so sweet and compasssionate as to challenge his mother's big heart, but he knew she was very important to him. Ryohei himself had declared Tsuna to be his brother after having a rigorous spar with him and loved dragging the diminutive Sawada out on runs around town whenever he could. Hana, as sarcastic and sharp tongued as she could be, was a sensible-minded presence Tsuna came to admire and enjoy, especially when they shared the same thoughts on certain idiots in school (such as Mochida-senpai and others who enjoyed tormenting him).

Twice now Yamamoto tagged along on the shopping trips. He explained, while chuckling at how Piero all but sat on Tsuna's head, that his father said that coming along would be good 'training' for whenever he got a lover, whatever that is. Tsuna and Hana were both amused, the latter more so, at how innocent and naive Yamamoto could be, never mind that she and he did not entirely understand what "lovers" meant yet either.

Over the months Tsuna grew closer to the baseball player and one day forced his tongue to form "Takeshi" for the first time (after repeated requests for him to do so). Seeing the glow of happiness and hearing it in the laughter that followed, convinced Tsuna to try and not be so twitchy about using peoples first names if they wanted him to. Takeshi's sunshine-like grin had made Tsuna's entire day and not even Hana pinching his cheek had killed the little smile playing on his lips.

Back to to attracting the worst sort of attention...

Takeshi was practicing ball with friends while Tsuna went with the girls to wander the mall and, for him, mainly window-shop. He had a personal issue with using the generous allowance he always received from his madre, and he thought the money was 'dirty' as it came from his blood-father, but when he noticed Kyoko or Hana looking at something longingly he had no problems using the money to get that thing if it isn't too expensive. He had learned that neither girl wanted him spending so much on them even if he really wanted to.

The mall crawling was fun that day. Now and then he would be bumped into and shoved into stuff by students that remembered him 'sacrificing' them to Hibari, and the one time he was separated from the girls he made sure to find them before Kyoko noticed he was missing. Hana, however, noticed and tugged him close while ordering him to carry her bags; the pinched look on her face told him it was a ruse to keep him right beside her. Clearly she was aware that Tsuna had a lot of 'enemies' outside of school and the fact that she seemed to be intent on keeping him safe and with her and Kyoko made Tsuna feel warm and happy. After two hours of window-shopping and occasionally buying things here and there for his madre, Hana and Kyoko decided that two full bags on each of their arms was enough and it was time to go home. Tsuna insisted on taking one of their bags since he easily put his stuff in the sports duffel he took everywhere.

As it was a comfortable day the girls decided to take a detour and walk through the park on their way to Hana's house (the closest of the three). In the middle of the green and forested park Tsuna became aware of an insistent prickling chill crawling over his body, and right as he let out a sharp call of Hana's name, intending to tell her to grab Kyoko and run, he felt pain burst in the back of his head and then there was darkness. When he awoke he found himself stuck in a fog of pain that made the bliss of sleep highly tempting.

"Tsuna-kun!" Kyoko? His brain sputtered and struggled through the pain tangling his thoughts.

"Tsuna-monkey! W-wake up!"

At their voices, so scared and close to breaking, Tsuna jerked and made a muffled moan behind the grimy tasting mass in his mouth. As he left the mind-numbing daze he became painfully aware of his legs and arm being bound on top of there being a cloth shoved into his mouth. For a minute Tsuna found himself tense and feeling nauseatingly scared as he briefly relived the terror of that time in the alleyway. Kyoko whimpering snapped him out of it and he twisted around, heedless of the muscles and bruises screaming for him to stop contorting himself.

There stood four delinquents, four familiar jackasses that seemed to make it their mission to ensure Tsuna's time at school was as miserable as possible. Three times a week, for the last four months, he had tricked them into Hibari's waiting jaws and it seemed that they had finally gotten sick of falling for the same old thing each day. As they began saying things he paid no attention to he took in how Hana and Kyoko were tied to the same tree, completely bound in rope and with their clothes ripped and dirtied. A delinquent (named Yoichi Shuu, he had to remember that) had Kyoko's jaw gripped in one hand hard enough to dig his fingers into her soft flesh. He had the gall to grin lecherously at her fearful face. Hana was struggling desperately against the ropes securing her and Kyoko's hands above their heads, the look on that dark brunette's face promised more than pain for the pervert, it promised separation from certain body parts.

A crowded, shadowed corner of his heart is where Tsuna kept all the anger, resentment and loathing he felt for Timoteo and his father. Bitter loneliness and other unpleasant emotions brought on by his school life and social flops and status only exacerbated that rotting corner. For years that part of his heart has festered and grown, and it became what Tsuna took to calling his Rage Monster. This slumbering demon, as much as Tsuna denies it to himself, is as much a part of him as his love for his mother, friends, and his hobbies.

Seeing Kyoko in that position, with Hana beginning to cry as she struggled and cursed, it made Tsuna snap in much the same way as his mother. His static swelled and flooded his every limb until he was fit to burst, and the energy pressed through his flesh to zero in on the ropes he wanted gone, gone, gone. Something sizzled in the air that suddenly smelled of ozone, but the sound was masked by the idiots talking loudly and stating all the nasty things they planned to do to him and his friends, and the smell of burning rope and grass went unnoticed until it was too late.

"Hey, Daichi, do you smell something burni- GAH!"

Tsuna had moved swiftly as soon as the ropes were disintegrated by the heat of his static and cut off the words of the closest delinquent. Taller than Tsuna by half a foot, and probably weighing 50 pounds more, the young Sky's back-handed fist sent the male went flying into the bushes roughly thirteen feet away where he stayed down. Tsuna spared a second to remove the foul gag from his mouth and moved right on to the next three; fifteen seconds passed before he took the next two down with an open palm hit to one guy's chest and a knife hand strike to a vulnerable side of the other, but before he could turn toward the last delinquent his Intuition turned cold and he barely moved in time to receive a switchblade to the shoulder. Hana and Kyoko screamed and Tsuna swiftly elbowed the big leader and watched with cold eyes as he flew back and hit the ground unconscious due to the pain of what might have been a broken rib.

Tsuna tugged the blade out and ignored the weeping wound in favor of cutting a hysterical Kyoko free and releasing Hana. As Kyoko hugged herself and tried to calm down Hana stood and viciously kicked the knife wielding male between the legs and stomped toward a nearby bush to pull out all their bags. With Tsuna's duffle in hand she forced him to sit still so she could treat him.

All throughout Hana's careful first aid, treatment extending to facial wounds he wasn't aware of until then, Tsuna kept his senses sharp for any changes that would indicate any one of the delinquents returning to the conscious world. All were soundly knocked out, however, and once Hana deemed him suitably treated he pulled out his cellphone from the duffel and called the police, followed swiftly by a text to Hibari. Predictably Hibari arrived first and found Tsuna (bloodied sleeve, covered in dirt, scrapes and liberal darkening bruises everywhere that skin was visible, split lip, split cheek) in a condition that left him Quite Unimpressed. Tsuna, in the middle of tying up the last delinquent fetched from the bush, meeped and froze at the sight of Hibari advancing on him with a steel tonfa in hand. Hana stepped between them and crossed her arms, looking up at Hibari with hard resolve on her face.

"I don't see why you should hit Tsuna, Hibari-san," she said quietly, exercising that wonderful sensibility Tsuna was valuing in her more and more. "Yes, he was taken by surprise and knocked out, but seconds after he awoke he escaped his confinement and beat them in under 30 seconds by my estimation."

Hibari narrowed his eyes on her before sliding them toward Tsuna, who watched their interaction with sharp eyes clearly saying he was ready to jump between him and the female herbivore of his 'pack'. When Tsuna nodded stiffly and waved the blood smeared knife in a nervous greeting Hibari rose an eyebrow and put away his weapon. Hana immediately went back to Kyoko's side. Hibari pulled out handcuffs with a worrisome nonchalance that said he did this quite often, and then he patiently arranged the four delinquents and cuffed them in a way that tangled the chains and their arms together. This Tsuna found to be highly amusing but he managed to keep his grin inside.

Tsuna dusted off his pants, fetched the shopping bags and his duffel, and moved them away from the distressing scene, then he guided Kyoko to a tree just outside of the crime scene and helped Hana comfort her. Ten minutes later the police arrived, a group of them storming the park to find them, and after seeing Tsuna standing by the four unconscious older boys they went and handcuffed him, assuming he was the culprit. Though he found this highly infuriating (and terrifying on a new level), Tsuna was not surprised given his amazing luck.

What did surprise him was that Hibari had remained at the park just out of sight. The raven haired boy appeared moments after Tsuna cried out in protest and Hana stormed over threatening to sue the police department for wrongfully arresting a minor who only defended himself. The reaction was damn near instant: Hibari stalked right up to Tsuna and glared at the policeman pinning the boy to a tree, and as though the Horseman of Death itself had appeared the uniformed officer paled and looked faint as he rapidly removed the cuffs and fled at a fast walk. Satisfied that he was in no danger, Hana squinted at Hibari before walking back to Kyoko. The Skylark grabbed Tsuna's hand and ignored the boy's squeak as he carefully inspected one of two slim wrists covered in darkening bruises and slightly bloody friction burns.

"Stop being a contradiction," Hibari said with a slight glare. Tsuna, not understanding his upperclassmen one bit, did not move an inch as the older boy brushed his thumb across the angry red welts on his wrist. "Strong one moment and then nothing but a rabbit the next... Nothing like a momonga."

"S-sorry, Hibari-senpai... Um, wh-what am I, then?"

Hibari dropped Tsuna's wrist like it burned him and was quiet for a long moment. "The honey badger is notoriously tough for a small carnivore and is known for going against creatures several times its size. It is a mouthful, however, so Anaguma you are."

That said, he walked off to talk to some officers leaving Tsuna's jaw dropped and his mind struggling to understand what just happened.

Once the police (and the paramedics) did their job Tsuna was forced into a police vehicle by Hana and Kyoko because neither girl would let him try to walk home alone after that. Once the girls were dropped off and he was four blocks from home Tsuna begged out of the drive so he wouldn't worry his mother too much. The moment he set foot in the door he was being smothered against his mother's chest as she cried and made him promise to take a cab home from the mall for at least a few months. She had gotten a call from a man named Hibari Shoji, but Tsuna quickly forgot the name.

This incident drove Tsuna to practice harder and enhance himself with more static in the Tsukinode Dojo. This lead him to being taken on as the sole student of the dojo master, one strange Karibachi Nobu.

Quirky is the perfect word to describe the martial arts master. Ignoring his personal style he is a youthful looking and well built 6'3" young adult who would make a lot of women (and some men) swoon should he wear normal clothes. Most days Nobu favors rich gold, cherry red, neon green or white colored contacts- and Tsuna, after many months, still couldn't say what his real eye color was. His hair was always in a soft mohawk-with-tail of black with natural wine purple roots, the styles ranged between braided or slicked back. As for the man's clothes, well, he clearly doesn't care about what others think because he tends to wear short and colorful robes or custom made vests all with with a cutesy pattern of an animal that, seven out of ten times, are duckies. The man has a white doodled on sports visor he goes nowhere without.

Being Nobu's sole student began as alarming and remained a test on Tsuna's patience as the cheerful, slightly maniacal, young adult had a proclivity for talking about random (normally inappropriate) and distracting stuff in the middle of teaching Tsuna some new forms or sparring with the boy. Inappropriate meaning fond reminiscence of past lovers in places like Hawaii, Spain and Russia, or pestering the poor boy about his lack of love life at the tender age of eleven. More often than not Nobu spun wild tales (Tsuna never openly alluded to actually believing in anything his sensei said) about wrestling bears, sharks, and a damn kracken, and climbing to the top of Mount Everest and diving into the Great Blue Hole of a country called Belize and meeting sexy merpeople. For a time Tsuna enjoyed how challenging and tough training under Nobu was, but that notion was felt before the man decided Tsuna was good enough to be his protege and thusly...

"Trained for real." How ominous does that sound?

Being given the 'best' training meant Tsuna was made to wear these weird skin colored form fitting suits each day. The long sleeved shirt and leggings all had absolutely no right weighing five pounds each! On top of wearing the weighted clothes under his exercise outfit while running through kata as usual, he had to go on hour long uphill hikes around a mountain and perform maddening amounts of isometric exercise where he had to sit or stand for minutes at a time with his muscles contracted in a certain way. At least Nobu was kind enough to put on a movie at those times. When Tsuna became accustomed to one weight it would go up two or three pounds and after a month Nobu was back to pushing him hard in physical training and stamina, testing him on his memory of the forms and testing his reflexes in slightly sadistic ways (such as seeing if Tsuna can move fast enough to avoid a wet willy, a boot to the butt, a rock to the forehead, or a pie to the face).

The first time Tsuna agreed to a fourteen hour long Training Day on a Sunday he regretted it more than damn near anything. He had to be carried home by a cheerfully whistling Nobu who, after greeting Nana, got free dinner and dessert, and proceeded to snoop around Tsuna's room as he talked to the boy about all the wonderful training he had planned if Tsuna was willing to embrace the 'true essence of a warrior' for the sake of his friends and family. Tsuna, boneless from all of his screaming muscles, could only watch and complain as the man snooped, but after hearing the last of Nobu's proposal Tsuna wanted to curse him to using that exact wording. Not that he would have done anything different if given the choice, but still.

It was becoming quite clear to Tsuna that so far there was little he wouldn't do for his friends and, by association, his own happiness. He would walk through the fires of the Western idea of hell for them and more, and somewhere deep inside Tsuna knew that he should be a bit disturbed at how strongly he felt for 'his' people. It couldn't be normal and certainly felt strange when he brought himself to thinking about it, as the devotion and affection he felt for 'his' people, his big family, brought to mind the dramatic bonds found in manga, novels and other media make-believe.

Tsuna decided that he had to adapt more. Strange things will happen, bad things will happen, and most likely to him and his own, so that means he can't let it get to him too much. If he hesitates at the wrong moment it could mean someone gets hurt.

 **o o o**

He never forgot what those three delinquents put Hana and Kyoko through. Tsuna was a patient boy, but first he explained to his mamma why and how he wanted to get revenge on the ones who really hurt Kyoko and Hana. His mother happily agreed to help.

Four chocolate truffles that looked delicious contained a filling made from the hottest wasabi available. Each were placed on the desks of these known bullies and a few of the more tormented kids understood his plain message of 'point at chocolate make retching noise', so they did not touch it. Surprisingly the plan worked perfectly!

All four delinquents were sent to the school infirmary for vomiting or screaming in class, then assigned detention for eating while the teacher was lecturing.

 **OMAKE**

 **Expanding the Pack**

When Tsuna started up his own pack of people to watch over and protect Kyoya hadn't been pleased for a reason he could not put his finger on at first.

Kyoya talked to his mother Mitsuko, as he was wont to do because she never judged him without reasoning and advice given. She was blunt and said he didn't like sharing what he felt was "his", but his Momonga-turned-Anaguma deserved to live as free as any little forest creature and so Kyoya curbed his possessive desire and commended Tsuna's efforts instead. The girls were good for him too, at least, as Kurokawa saw to tutoring Tsuna in school which, unfortunately or luckily, only raised his average by three or five points on average. Kyoko often took care of his Anaguma, treating the wounds he was prone to getting from training and clumsiness. That Kurokawa stood up to him, the known violent boy who dealt brutally with the filth in Namimori, was worth a few grains of respect (though not acknowledgment yet, he didn't like that she challenged his desire to teach the lesson that being caught and beaten up like a rabbit is forbidden).

Ryohei was the most irritating part of Tsuna's pack and Kyoya refused to share air-space with the buffoon. At the boxer's present level he wasn't much of a challenge and only served to increase headaches, so Kyoya told Tsuna to control his yappy chihuahua or he would do it for him. At the very least Kyoya acknowledged that comic relief was needed for other people, and his Anaguma was fond of laughing so he did not say much to protest the including of Ryohei into the small carnivore's pack.

Then came Yamamoto Takeshi. The boy was seemingly simple-minded, strong, and highly athletic with sharp instincts. Much sharper than Ryohei and therefore much more worthy of being a part of Tsuna's pack. Kyoya was a bit more tolerable of Yamamoto and went so far as to give the boy advice concerning the Anaguma's habits. Yamamoto took to heart Kyoya's warning to keep an eye on Tsuna when he could because as strong as his Anaguma was, Tsuna tended to get hurt and bleed. Far too much for a carnivore. That was a habit Kyoya was wondering on how to break his fellow carnivore of.

It chafed a bit, sharing Tsuna with others Kyoya deemed not entirely worthy. But the Cloud trusted his mother and would avoid smothering Tsuna the way he would hate in turn.

 **ABOUT THE SEALING: There are repercussions to sealing Flames at such a young age and those dangers are only worsened when the children are as perfectly in-tune with their Flames like Tsuna was. While Dino is a Sky he's not as strong as Xanxus and won't feel the damage that Timoteo's sealing dealt to him. Just thought I'd mention this. :D**

 **[EDIT: Fixed it up a bit. November-something. Today is Jan 13th, how organized am I?]**


	5. Chapter Five

**THANK YOU TO: general zargon, Sceonn, sympatheticassassin, Demon Hound, XxShadowfangXx, and Miss Sexy Rain (x4), MoonStar1312, Guest, Gentle Snow, Kuroi Rin, shukkets, blueberry, Arashi -IV of VI, Akayuki Novak, and Natsu Yuuki. :)**

 **TO EVERYONE WHO put this on favorites and follows thank you. To everyone who reviewed and did that too, sorry for not thanking you in my replies. I don't always go to my email to see if I have reviews and therefore I don't always know. :(**

 **sympatheticassassin: As much as he hates Iemitsu and as much as he would never compliment the man to his face for any reason, Iemitsu is a good man at heart. Good enough to teach Tsuna to be nice and considerate to girls, as well as 'treat others the way you want to be treated' (which the future Decimo takes to heart... until Protective Mode! rears its head). Iemitsu is also just a moron and I'm certain the Vongola dodged one huge Bullet Bill when it came to him preferring the CEDEF to being the Vongola boss.**

 **blueberry: Um... there are cute moments here and there, but... chapter 10 is where the first dose of physical Boys Love in a scene, so... I hope you enjoy the story until then?**

* * *

 _ **"Children begin by loving their parents. As they grow up they judge them, sometimes they forgive them." ~ Oscar Wilde**_

* * *

Much later, sometime after gaining a certain home tutor, Tsuna would correctly place the blame of The Incident on Iemitsu and the damned letter his had sent him years earlier.

It began on Tsuna's twelfth birthday, the day his blood-father appeared after _a seven-or-so year long_ over-seas 'work trip' where he 'became a star'. The only reason Tsuna even recognized him is because he had a habit of making all the photos of the bastard face shelves and walls (and the fridge) that his mother patiently righted.

Just the sight of his father sitting at the kitchen table with a hearty, though not mountainous, breakfast before him, told Tsuna that his day was ruined before he'd set a single toe outside. His mother was in the kitchen, cheerful as ever but certainly no more than usual, and she was singing her favorite theme song from one of Tsuna's often watched anime. Iemitsu was out of his seat and crushing Tsuna in a hug before the boy had taken two steps into the kitchen and only the knowledge of his mother being in the room kept him from zapping Iemitsu into a hospital stay. Fortunately he had Piero defending him so Iemitsu backed off a bit.

"Tsuna! You've gotten so big! How tall are you?"

Shaking off the painful absurdity of the moment, Tsuna replied monotonously, "Exactly 4'11". No need to say it, I know I'm impressive."

Iemitsu laughed aloud and clapped his son on the back. Tsuna bit his cheek to avoid grinding his teeth and he managed to eat half a plate of his mothers delicious cooking before he couldn't force down another bite. Madre fussed a bit and checked his temperature before getting him to at least have a small carton of chocolate milk. As he took little sips he watched with sharp eyes how his father hugged and kissed and interacted with his madre like he was never gone. Sure, according to his memory from back then Tsuna could see a difference in his mother's love for Iemitsu, how she was recieving affection instead of giving more than her usual bright smiles. Perhaps it really was the young Sawada's wishful thinking but he thought she was truly less loving toward the No-Good husband. Rightly deserved. Over the last two years there have been a total of twelve letters split evenly between mother and son, a few sporadic gifts, and plenty of money, but very few phone calls. As in three short ones between mother and absentee.

Tsuna left the kitchen with his milk and went upstairs with his faithful cat shadowing his every step. Seeing Piero claw Iemitsu earlier (she took offense to that bear hug) filled the boy with no small amount of delight, especially at the look of irritation on his blood-father's face when his cat, not liking Iemitsu slapping his back, effectively made herself a living barrier by seating herself on Tsuna's lap and growling at the man if he came too close. Nana had merely giggled at this and fed a piece of fish to the cat since she was supposedly being an adorable guard-kitty, and made absolutely no move to separate cat from owner so Iemitsu could hug his son.

The day's plans had included a movie, particularly an American Japanese dubbed action flick that Tsuna had been looking forward to for weeks. Even Kyoko had seemed excited and Hana was interested in learning what American monkey's found entertaining. Takeshi really wanted to see the alien action just like Tsuna. With great reluctance and that churning unease in his stomach stubbornly remaining, Tsuna dressed in comfortable slacks, a tank top, and an oversized (almost criminally comfortable) peace sign patterned hoodie his mother bought him.

Iemitsu pretty much pounced on Tsuna when the boy walked into the kitchen again, this time dressed and holding his good running shoes (unspoken rule, whoever tracks dirt into the house cleans the floor later, meaning always Tsuna).

"You look adorable! Nana-chan you have such good taste!" Iemitsu went to hug Tsuna again when Piero nimbly hopped onto the boy's shoulders and easily curled around him like a living boa with a murderous stare. Iemitsu pouted. "I've gotta say, son, you have one interesting cat there."

"She saved me from dogs and delinquents. I think interesting is too weak a word, try awesome."

Tsuna ignored Iemitsu's perplexed expression and the odd shadow that crossed the No-Good man's face in favor of hugging Nana and giving her a kiss on the cheek. Attempting to flee the premises at a run with Piero only resulted in Iemitsu chasing him down the street in his dusty and oil stained overalls and gaudy construction hat.

"Shouldn't you be with _madre_ , father?"

Iemitsu made a face at the colder address and tone, then grinned. "Ah, but I'll have all night! I just have my son for the day~!"

 _Don't punch him, don't punch him, don't sicc the cat on him,_ Tsuna switched that train of thought to reciting a poem he'd read in the library, an overseas one titled The Female of the Species.

Iemitsu chattered at Tsuna as he followed his son at a small distance as that cat insisted on keeping herself between them. Eventually Iemitsu managed to pry more than one word or grunted answers from his son and learned that Tsuna had been attacked by a large dog that landed him in the hospital. Without Piero Tsuna might have lost his arm, and he refused to lift his sleeve and show Iemitsu one part of his scars from that incident last year in the dead of summer. Iemitsu learned that Tsuna was contemplating entering an art school someday, maybe becoming a writer (here the boy had quirked an eyebrow at Iemitsu, wondering if the man bothered to read the letter he never replied to) or a maybe becoming a paramedic since he's come to enjoy being able to fix up both himself and his friends. Iemitsu grinned and told his son that all of those career choices were admirable in their own way, especially the last, and that he was proud of him.

The smile that stretched across Tsuna's face in response had no warmth and the boy tried not to feel guilty that he didn't give a flying crap about his blood-father's opinion. He used anger and a simmering background sense of betrayal to ignore the guilt that pecked at him when he saw his father wince at the fake expression.

Half an hour of walking and mostly one sided talking ended with both Sawada males meeting up with a group of three. Iemitsu observed his son interacting with them, how he smiled and it seemed like the whole street grew a few shades brighter before the light in that expression went out like a candle.

"Guys, this is my father. I haven't see him in years, so imagine my surprise when I walk into the kitchen and see that- _him_ , sitting there and eating like it's the most natural thing in the world." Tsuna felt himself pale a bit as his mouth spilled thoughts he preferred keeping private. It was a near thing not smacking his own forehead. "Um... y-yeah... Th-this is Takeshi-kun, Hana-chan and Kyoko-chan. They're three of my four best friends and we were planning to see a movie called The Avengers."

To Tsuna's immense vexation (something that showed on his face in a scowl before he thought of madre and his anger cleared) Iemitsu stepped forward and swept a cheesy bow, gaining a giggle from Kyoko and a sharper You're-Suspicious-As-Heck squint from Hana. Takeshi, however, did something none of his more friends expected he could do, and with a deceptively carefree grin at that.

"So, Sawada-san, what's been keeping you from Tsuna and his mom all these years? You really should visit more!" Takeshi's smile grew a bit sharper as he stared into Iemitsu's eyes intently with a relaxed posture. "Who knows, maybe one day they won't be here when you decide to drop by on a whim. They'll have moved somewhere fun... like the beach! Or near an onsen!"

Hearing even Takeshi talk like this in his sort of dorky way, and seeing the look of astonished admiration on Tsuna's face, Hana discovered that, wonder of wonders, she could dislike the Sawada patriarch more. She had never pried into Tsuna's business and wrestled with why he was uncomfortable with father figures and himself in the same sentence, she never pestered when he grew a bit moody and bitter when clueless teachers threatened to call his father, but now she could understand. This was his father, this man dressed in dirty clothes supporting claims of where he works, and sporting a stupid grin that left her more appreciative of Takeshi. At least the baseball player looked innocent and kinda sweet. Tsuna had never had a proper father. Maybe that's why he took to Yamamoto-san so well, the man was warm and open and he was a bit like Nana-san in that way, and evidently Tsuna felt completely at ease with him.

Irritated by the odd threat she felt Iemitsu represented, Hana stepped forward to hug the young Sawada and ruffle his downy soft hair. "You call us later, okay? We can all gather at Kyoko-chan's house for a Miyazaki marathon. Takeshi can bring your favorite veggie sushi, and then we'll have cake."

"Oh, and Tsuna-kun, don't eat too much junk food!" Kyoko had her genuine angel smile going as she gave him a hug. "I made cupcakes and snacks we can eat while watching Kiki's Delivery Service!"

Tsuna's gloomy aura brightened considerably and he smiled happily, once more unknowingly shocking his father with the vibrancy of that simple expression. Iemitsu could both see and feel that his son possessed the Sky Magnetism, what begins the process of finding Guardians and Connecting (Harmonizing) with them. That connection strongly depended on the Sky's state of mind and (fortunately) only slightly on their self-perception. Obviously Timoteo could not completely seal the son of the Young Lion, and this was both a source of pride and future worry. Iemitsu did not envy his son the potential migraine that would come from the Sky Magnetism and sunsequent problems that come with an unsealed flame of his probable power. Who knows who it could attract.

Without another word exhchanged, and practically ripping Tsuna from Kyoko's arms, Iemitsu was dragging Tsuna down the street and heading straight for the mall for a good wander. It took Piero launching herself at the man's back and clinging on with her claws for him to let go of Tsuna and let him walk alone, and that was an awkward silence only made worse by the twinge of guilt Tsuna felt. With reluctance he had his dad sit on a bench so he could clean up the bloody wounds and slap on some plasters.

After getting treated by his son Iemitsu was in a far cheerier mood and pestered his boy into talking. Tsuna thought about speaking in Italian with the man but that didn't feel right, that was sharing a part of himself that he liked. So, feeling slightly vindictive for having his movie time with far more important friends taken away, Tsuna went into detail about his life after Iemitsu all but disappeared off the face of the earth; from the describing 176-plus broken bones he had gained, the pain he had gotten used to, and how lonely he'd been before making friends with Hana and Kyoko around seven months ago (bonding with Takeshi came three months after befriending the girls). Sure, he was still pushed to the ground hard enough to make him bleed, and a lot of students were often times cruel with words and actions when he wasn't backed up by a friend, but it did not change how he was happy.

Tsuna paused in his careful monologue and held his father's eyes with a sharp gaze. "It's thanks to them and madre that I'm happy. Madre smiles more too because she knows I'm no longer miserable. Those three, and Ryo-Aniki, they're as much my world as her and Piero, and... and I'll protect them from as much as I can."

Knowing he wasn't important enough to his son to make that list was painful for the elder Sawada, and though he knew he really had no right to expect otherwise, he still wished he had his adorable Tsu-kun to cuddle. Ever since his son had first shown Sky Flames of unrivaled purity* at such a young, near impossible, age, Iemitsu had been a bit... not uneasy, but he felt awkward knowing his son really did have Vongola worthy Sky Flames capable of being used outside the body. It meant that one day his sweet angel-boy could be forced to become the head of the blood-soaked mafia. Iemitsu had trouble looking his wife in the eye, and watching his son's young life fall apart by the loss of his flame, it was painful and the fact that Tsuna was so deeply affected spoke of how strongly that flame had been entrenched and connected with him well before puberty. He left because he couldn't take it, and much later on he recieved that particular letter and it was a fist through his chest. He'd had to, out of conscience and forewarning, show the letter to the Nono and the old man seemed to age several decades. It was then when they decided that should Tsuna become the lone candidate he would have to be tested some time before having Reborn go tutor him.

Thus the whole reason Iemitsu even returned. Everything was worse than before he left. His wife was so distant, his son did not value his praise, much less look at him most times, and the boy's friends were even taking jabs at him. Had he really messed up that badly? Reborn would kick him in the head while saying, in the most disparaging voice an infant can manage, that yes he had.

Once at the mall Piero separated to go skulk somewhere to wait for their departure. Iemitsu was quick to bring Tsuna to an art store and wander with him for exactly 30 minutes, picking up anything his son showed enough interest in (which ended up being two a heavy baskets full), before he went and bought everything and declared that he had to make a call to his work place. The man left "Spicy Mochi's Art Emporium" and tried not to feel upset at how the simple blank sketchbook his son held minutes earlier had the boy smiling sincerely when he had tried so hard for nearly two hours.

It was time to test whether Tsuna could be the protector Nono wanted his successor to be.

Iemitsu got the confirmation that the targets had been caught and directed them to a distinct part of a ghost town-esque part of the city luckily not ten blocks away. Tsuna, judging from the more cool and normal feel to his body temp, obviously had no Sky draw on, but if the Sky Attraction still remains than he has enough Intuition for Iemitsu to have no choice but to play the game carefully. The CEDEF members were instructed to forget the taller girls cell and allow her to get a short call to Tsuna (something the elder Sawada was absolutely positive she would do against reason because he could sense her flame, Rain likely, strongly Harmonized with his son's).

Tsuna had been picking through a selection of inking pens when he was hit with an unpleasant chill. While not as sharp to what he felt when Piero was in trouble, it was close enough to steal his air for a good ten seconds before he left the store with a noticeable tremor in his arms. Right as he reached the public washroom he got a phone call from Hana.

"Ts-Tsuna! Call the police! Some psycho's g-grabbed the three of us. From the w-window I can see a creepy oak tree that looks like a hand reaching out of the ground. It has no leaves and l-looks like it was split by lightning."

Tsuna forced himself not to freak out and relied on the clarity of mind he gained from supercharging his brain. "Hana-chan. I'm going to get off the phone and call the-"

A door slammed open drawing two screams from Hana and Kyoko. Objects were thrown judging by the crashing, and evidently the kidnappers had been very displeased by her calling for help. Frozen as he was Tsuna heard Kyoko cry out "No! Leave Hana-chan alone!" before Takeshi's voice was yelling for them to back off. Then there came the sharp sound of a fist on flesh and Hana calling out Takeshi's name while Kyoko began to sob. The line went dead and Tsuna felt himself begin to crack along with the self-imposed block on the 'rotten' part of his heart. Tsuna shuddered and lashed out with a punch aimed at the wall. His fist buried in the plaster and cement and, breathing heavily, he pulled himself free with a growl that would be adorable under other circumstances.

Iemitsu watched from a distance, almost nervous and quite fascinated as he observed his son shake off his anger and go from No-Good to something he could one day admire. Tsuna did indeed call the police (or who he thought was the police, yay technology) and inform them of a kidnapping, but he could not recall exactly where, only that the house is right by a split tree looking like the hand of something reaching out of the earth. Tsuna cut the call and stared at his phone thoughtfully, deliberating on calling Ryohei and getting their friends back with their own power. His head said it was stupid, but his heart and Intuition insisted and he phoned Ryohei and told to meet up at the Eagle Beak Rock in Nagakusa Park and to be there to the extreme because Kyoko, Hana and Takeshi needed them. Tsuna spent the minute it took to reach the mall exit at a run to decide on whether he would call Hibari. He did and the brutal boy sounded none too pleased that students of Namimori Elementary had been kidnapped.

With those calls done Tsuna took off with all the speed he could muster, which means he was a blur on his way to the park. Two minutes later Tsuna nearly smacked into Ryohei as they came hurtling in through the gate. Hibari's cool and wild presence already waiting stopped Ryohei in his tracks until Tsuna spoke.

"Lets go to Demon Hand Road, Ryo-Aniki, Hibari-senpai. They're in the abandoned Witches House."

This meant nothing to the future Prefect but to Ryohei, who had poor memory and could only really identify by memorable places, what it meant was crystal clear. Tsuna and Ryohei both shared a look of grim determination before they took off, Hibari following two paces behind as he did not know where they were headed. While running Tsuna grabbed Ryohei to stop him from passing a construction site empty of people. He gestured for the boy to follow, ignoring Hibari who would do whatever he pleased, and quickly found a pair of dusty pipes five inches longer than his forearm. Despite being bigger they were the perfect thickness to use as tambo.

Hibari, if Tsuna's eyes did not decieve him, nodded in approval at the makeshift weapon before they made the rest of their way to an old and dilapitated house. Leaning on one side, with an overgrown garden and trees surrounding the house, it seemed to be the perfect spot for kidnappers to hold up in. Tsuna had to tackle Ryohei down to keep him quiet.

"Ryohei, don't talk or yell. You could get Hana, Kyoko and Takeshi hurt. You could get them dead. You don't want that, right? I just need you to be _quiet_. Do you think you can do that for me, Ryohei? Can you do that for them?"

Ryohei looked nervous under his "brother" before that faded and he nodded resolutely. Together Tsuna, Hibari and the boxer sneaked around the house, using the area to hide their movements. They found an opening and made it inside and Tsuna, after some exploring and noting that the baddies seemed to be in a single area, had Ryohei wait in an empty hall closet on the second floor with the instruction of "Come bust some heads when I yell X." The young Sky trusted that Hibari wouldn't be as... obnoxiously noticeable before the right time came.

Following his Intuition and the distant rumble of multiple voices, Tsuna quickly located the correct room and his stomach twisted. Takeshi had placed himself between the twelve kidnappers and the girls as best he could, and he looked battered, covered in dust and sporting a swollen cheek and a bloodied nose. Despite what he'd gone through there was a rebellious and dark glare on his face. Seeing his friends tied up again and seeing Takeshi hurt, it made Tsuna want to _maim_ and that anger came out in a wave of static that left the air smelling of ozone. Anyone sensitive to Flames, like Hibari and others in the room, felt his anger like a weight on their chest. Fortunately the kidnappers were under strict orders to act like a run of the mill battle capable baddie, not people trained to CEDEF quality.

Spurred on by protective instincts and the rage filling his head with dark thoughts, Tsuna infused more Static into his body and brain than usual, enough for little arcs of green to flicker and dance up and down his form (something Hibari watched with hidden fascination). This supercharge acted like an adrenaline boost stronger than anything Tsuna had experienced prior. Hibari tapped Tsuna's leg with his shoe and smirked, his handsome face promising a whole lot of pain to the adults in that room. Tsuna's answering expression, somewhere between bared teeth and a smirk, only stoked the mild obsession Hibari had developed since the first time he felt the little herbivore's murderous rage over the Cat Abuse incident.

Their first move, rather Tsuna's, was to attack legs and extremities of six men after he entered. Hibari's tonfa were blurred like Tsuna's makeshift tambo, and each one of the young Sky's hits sent debilitating zaps through the enemy. Those hit and sent flying scrambled out of range of the boy with poison-green glowing eyes and the older kid with a bloodthirsty smirk.

"You made a grave mistake going after my friends," Tsuna said to the room of startled 'kidnappers', voice harsh with anger matching the glare on his face.

The boy rolled his shoulders and twirled a pipe in one hand as he pushed more static into his muscles. With a single bellow of "X!" Tsuna rushed the remaining gawking men. Seconds later Ryohei burst into the room with an angry roar, and as Hibari was out of Tsuna's immediate range he quickly placed himself back-to-back with his little brother right as those downed by the Static clambered to their feet.

"Don't listen to what they say, Ryohei. Hit them knowing they've hurt our friends."

Ryohei's eyes darkened as he glared at one sneering enemy and, unseen by Tsuna, a faint yellow glow appeared in his eyes. "Let's kick their asses to the extreme, Otōto."

Three strong fighters in a confined room with three hostages and twelve enemies was not an easy fight. As Hibari grew more aggressive and Ryohei's punches slammed through solid wooden objects like paper, Tsuna placed himself between those bound and those looking to take a meat shield. Using his Static to harden and boost his body's natural abilities ensured that, though he did not notice it himself at all, he fought down and defeated a few more kidnappers than Ryohei and one more than Hibari (luck of the draw). By the end of those ten exhausting minutes there were a total of _nineteen_ bodies to tie up and bind with rope and duct tape. Tsuna showed a bit of his vindictive side by purposely wrapping duct tape around mouths and heads to keep them quiet, and arms and calves made bare to allow direct skin contact. He didn't bother wondering where the extras came from because they were unconscious and that was all that mattered.

Hibari was on the phone as Tsuna sat by the freed trio and fixed Takeshi's face up. Once he had placed a cold patch on the baseball player's cheek and wrapped his and the girls wrists to protect tender, slightly bleeding rope burns, Tsuna felt the adrenaline-like supercharge recede back to wherever it came from, leaving him to begin shaking hard as the gravity of their situation hit.

He had really gathered two fight-capable companions and sneaked into a building with hostile kidnappers having nothing but fists and melee weapons. _Him_ , No-Good Tsuna, the loser nearly everyone likes to beat up on for not doing as well as them. His breathing quickened and he paled, fists curling tight and knuckles turning white. He... really saved them, him and his quick thinking? Nineteen adults with blunt weapons and quicker wit than he could ever hope to have, fell by his and both his senpai's attack? No, that wasn't good, he could have gotten everyone killed because he listened to his instincts!

If it hadn't been for Hana and Kyoko settling beside him and sandwiching the boy in a hug Tsuna would have gone and fainted. The boy swallowed hard, embarrassed and aware that Hibari was still in the same room doing something because his inner forest critter insisted on being aware of that one's presence. He nearly went boneless in their gentle embrace, grateful to the both of them for helping to calm and clear his mind.

"I don't kn-know how this thing is going to go," Tsuna said, glancing at each friend-or-other [Hibari]. "But if we stay calm and don't try to run we'll be okay..."

Takeshi shifted closer to Tsuna and gently ruffled the boy's hair. "Don't worry! We'll stick with the truth and nothing more. They can't arrest us since we were taken and you, Hibari, and Ryohei saved us."

"EXTREME! We saved them! We really saved them!" The white haired boxer began bouncing around the room with slightly hysterical laughter. "We are so EXTREME, Otōto!"

Hana watched Ryohei for a moment, barely rolling her eyes when Hibari hit the boy for both bumping into him and being loud, and turned speculative eyes on Tsuna, the frail looking brunette that had just fought like a wild animal for their sakes. He had saved her and Kyoko again, risking himself again for others when he had full rights to flee and get the police to do an adults job. She couldn't stand that, she couldn't stand leaving it all to him when she knew he would keep on taking the burden of protecting his friends upon himself. Damn it, she's a girl. A strong and independent girl who will _not_ leave it all to her fluffy haired fanged-bunny of a friend to keep fighting her battles. Besides, Kyoko is her responsibility too.

"Damn it, this is stupid! You keep protecting us, you silly lion-monkey." Hana leaned her head against Tsuna's, not noticing when his face gained a neon-obvious blush. "I am not going to let you carry mine and Kyoko's weight alone... I'm going to get strong, I won't leave it all to you. It's unfair."

Kyoko ducked her head, pressing her cheek to Tsuna's shoulder. "I... I agree with Hana-chan. S-something like this could happen again, b-but I'm not much of a fighter, I don't have stamina and I don't think I could s-stand hurting anyone... I'm sorry, I can't be helpful, Tsuna-kun."

Tsuna looked like someone had just slapped him with a platypus. He glanced between Hana to Kyoko several times before shyly shifting to wrap his arms around their backs in a way he hoped was comforting.

"I would never dream of stopping Hana-chan from learning to fight, I'm a bit smarter than that." The dark haired girl chuckled and rubbed her cheek against his hair like he does to Piero's soft fur. "And Kyoko-chan... I don't think you have one bit of meanness in you, you're too sweet and gentle... I can't imagine you hurting anyone and if I can get strong enough you will _never_ have to try."

Kyoko hiccupped and started crying into his shoulder. Tsuna twitched, nearly swallowing his tongue, and he slowly pulled his arm away from Hana to hold his blond friend close. Giving her loving attention, soothing her fear, was relaxing him and letting his previous composure return. He always did like taking care of others, he always felt like he was a bit more important than usual when he did so, and he even had a smile on his face as he helped her calm down.

"Hey, Kyoko-chan," he said, voice soft and soothing as he cradled with one hand and rubbed her back with the other. "You don't have to be a fighter to be strong. As long as you're fast enough you can get away and be safe while calling for help. No need to lift a fist."

Hana hummed in thought and tugged a lock of Tsuna's downy hair. "He's right, Kyoko. The lion-monkey has a point. You're already fast on the track, you really just need stamina before working on speed and reflexes."

A comfortable (almost) silence stretched on for a minute, with Tsuna still holding Kyoko for her comfort (and his, though he wouldn't admit that). He noticed that Ryohei had taken to going through the crates and playing with stuff, something Tsuna probably should have stopped but was too comfortable to spare the energy. Takeshi had remained right in front of Tsuna while playing with the bandages on his wrists, and Hibari had even remained the room. In a far corner he'd claimed for himself where he sat perched on several bodies like a king. The sight was creepy and very nearly amusing, but Tsuna's sensibility won out there. The semi-quiet, enforced by Hibari with tonfa and Tsuna by asking Ryohei to stay quiet in case something were to happen, stretched on, leaving Tsuna's mind to wander until he was hit by a most unpleasant thought: _Is this my fault?_

His Intuition, rarely wrong if occasionally slower than a turtle, was telling him he was the catalyst for this whole event. For Kyoko and Hana being traumatized again, for Takeshi getting punched in the face...

"I-I'm sorry, you three." He sounded as breathless as he was scared. "I think... you were taken because of me, and I have no idea why."

That drew attention, from Takeshi's concerned almost-smile to Ryohei's confused stare, and Hana simply frowning. Kyoko hugged him, not liking the pain or the raw fear in his voice. Hibari gave him an unimpressed stare as though saying it didn't matter. They had come, they had conquered, it shouldn't be an issue. Stop being such a herbivore.

"If you don't... want to be my frie-"

Hana yanked at his ear, ripping a puppy-ish yelp from him. "If you finish that sentence I WILL show the class pictures of you sleeping in bed and cuddling with your giant teddy. Then I will dismember and scatter the parts of Lady Panda throughout Namimori. I'll be nice and leave you the head to wake up to, though."

Tsuna made a "Hiiie!" sound and promptly hid his face in Kyoko's hair, making the girl giggle and start patting his head. Mortified doesn't begin to touch upon what Tsuna felt when Hibari made a sound suspiciously close to a short laugh. Takeshi chuckled and poked Tsuna's visibly red cheek, saying he has a cute habit. Ryohei didn't look at all bothered ("I still sleep with Ru-Ru, you guys." "Ru-Ru is Onii-chan's wallaby stuffie."), and Hana was pretty much cackling as she watched Tsuna being all flustered. Ah, back to normal.

After the police came and got statements, investigated the scene and then dealt with Hibari's intense presence, Tsuna was almost tackled by his father who had come hurtling up the path. As it was Tsuna found himself smothered in a hug he struggled wildly to get out of until Hana kicked the elder Sawada and got him to drop his son. Iemitsu didn't seem bothered by the assault, and didn't even blink as Piero swiped him with a paw as she ran up to her human, he only appeared amused by how Hana plainly pulled Tsuna away and behind her. Hibari walked over then and tapped Tsuna's head with a fist and the smirk on the taller boy's face made Tsuna pale.

"You will spar with me next Tuesday. Be prepared, little Anaguma."

Hana and Tsuna, seemingly the only sane people of the group who were chilled by what was just said, watched with shocked faces as Hibari turned and, before leaving with his jacket billowing dramatically, regarded Iemitsu like a cockroach discovered outside and therefore not worth the effort of crushing. First off, Tsuna really liked the way Hibari looked at his father and contemplated practicing that expression in the mirror, secondly, he was shaking a bit at the rammifications of sparring with _Hibari_. Takeshi, predictably, laughed and clapped Tsuna on the back while congratulating him on making friends with the violent peace-keeper, then the boy walked off toward Kyoko as she was being talked to by a female officer. Iemitsu also laughed and walked away, muttering "Oh, to be young and silly again."

With a sigh Hana clapped her friend's back. "What kind of flowers do you want at your funeral?"

"Hiiee!? Wh-what!" Tsuna stared at his friend in horror before hanging his head. "Dog roses, hyacinths and dandelions."

"Okay... Now I'll be there for every fight, got it? Kyoko too. We'll have a first aid kit, milk tea, and food bars on hand."

"Uh...?"

Hana smirked and hooked her arm with Tsuna. "We can't very well leave you alone with a rabid gorilla like _that_ , right? You're just one little lion-monkey, you need someone in your corner."

Tsuna leaned on his friend. "Have I ever said that you're a goddess among mortals, Hana-chan?"

She lightly pinched his cheek, dark eyes glittering. "You could say that more often, Tsuna-monkey."

* * *

 **OMAKE**

 _ **When a dense boy stops being so, so dense.**_

Yamamoto Takeshi liked to keep things simple and find things to laugh at and smile about. Since the death of his mother this has been especially difficult but he's managed with the help of his three closest friends. He's begun to really heal from her loss.

When he first realized Tsuna made his stomach feel fluttery and ticklish and usually made his heart race a bit with that earnestly happy smile of his, the baseball player went to his father that day and explained what Tsuna made him feel, then he asked his dad if it meant anything because he was really confused. Tsuyoshi had floundered for an hour straight and hid behind sushi orders, but Takeshi was not to be deterred that way. He helped make more than half the sushi because his father was really nervous. Entirely too soon for the father, Tsuyoshi sat Takeshi down and explained that when two people really care for each other they will spend a lot of time together, they will enjoy giving and receiving hugs to each other, maybe innocent kisses, and that means they like each other in a romantic sense.

Takeshi took this in and as he processed this he helped make more orders and by the end of the day he had come to the conclusion that he liked Tsuna the same way his father loved his mother. It didn't weird the boy out, in fact he was happy because he knew his parents were very happy together. If he and Tsuna got together he could make the fluffy-haired boy happy and smile all the time, and also he would lots of Tsuna's hugs. Bonus. Takeshi thanked his dad for explaining things and life went on because the future swordsman saw no reason to rush things. He heard from his parents that they were friends for years before got together romantically, so Takeshi decided to be patient and get to know Tsuna a whole lot better, that way he could be sure to know what his friend likes, wants, and would appreciate best present wise. Aside from chocolate.

Since realizing that he liked Tsuna as more than a friend Takeshi took greater notice of how people looked at his small best friend. Some students eyes were interested, like Hibari only less possessiveness, and others looked at him with contempt and persisted in treating him like Health Hazard Tsuna to be mostly avoided or insulted and jeered at. Those who didn't spurn the delicate looking boy were students who were saved by Tsuna drawing attention to himself to lead bullies right to Hibari. There was a part of Takeshi that wanted to shove those blind students (and especially the teachers) into walls, but Tsuna wasn't for that. He'd rather take it, ignore it, and be happy with his friends. So Takeshi did not retaliate, not unless he was right there when a student tried to hurt Tsuna.

Those were times when Takeshi pulled bullies into tight choke-holds and told them to back off with the fierce look he never realized he had when playing baseball. Bullies dwindled but did not disappear unfortunately, but Takeshi was determined to be as great a friend and future "husband" as he could by protecting Tsuna.

Watching his delicate looking crush turn into a whirlwind of green-lightning colored movement (wielding pipes!) that sent heavy and tall looking men flying shook Takeshi, but not in a bad way. Knowing Tsuna could fight like a beast in order to protect his friends made Takeshi look at his own skills. He had baseball and becoming the type of delinquent who carries baseball bats to fight didn't bother him, but he could do a lot better than that for his fluffy crush.

And he did once he convinced his father he was dead serious about learning to use a sword so he could protect Tsuna and the rest of their little group.

* * *

 **When I uploaded this I was sure a few others would be interested in reading about a different Tsuna, enough for maybe three reviews a chapter if I was lucky, but to have 56 reviews JUST for four chapters? I'm still struggling a bit to believe that number. So thank you so much for reviewing the last chapter.**

 **REVIEWS: I'm blown away by how well this story of mine is being accepted. I'm so happy! If (when) you spot any misspellings, typos or missing words, please feel free to tell me (as well as mention something you liked about the chapter maybe?).**


	6. Chapter Six

**IMPORTANT NOTE: Harmonization with a Sky differs from person to person. To most of teenage and above age they simply feel comfortable, maybe even 'at home', sometimes they simply feel safe around the Sky, or depending on their personality they are simply drawn to the Sky. Outside feelings, such as genuine affection and desire for another, are all the individuals. Children, on the other hand, tend to feel like the Sky is a brother/sister or even a mother/father type figure. Like-wise, depending on their personality a Sky will likely view a child they have formed a Harmony with as their own kin, either sibling or more. With how... maternal... this Tsuna can be whether he's fully aware of it or not, which is more likely?**

 **THANK YOU: Arashi - IV of VI, general zargon, XxShadowfangxX, sympatheticassassin, Demon Hound, shukkets, Caro, Sawada Ten-chan, Snickering Fox, , Kuroi Rin, Natsu Yuuki, Guest, and Zivyx!**

 **sympatheticassassin: Oh, he definitely comes to the conclusion that he cannot,** _ **will not**_ **, be what the mafia world really wants him to be. Second-hand trauma from a character is what sets him on a certain path for real and makes him firmly believe in the world needing a change, however small and slow. Relationship with the mafia, definitely not good, but relationship with certain people involved with the mafia? Will be good enough. ;) There will be Nana-going-at-Iemitsu action in the Ring Battles arc. Once she snaps anyway. *plotful smile***

 **WORD TRANSLATIONS: Up here just because.**

 **Mazakuma: Motherbear.**

* * *

 _ **"The strength of a family, like the strength of an army, is in its loyalty to each other." ~ Mario Puzo.**_

* * *

Mercifully after the Kidnapping Incident Tsuna's life remained fairly calm and normal barring certain times.

His grades remained three or four points above his bad average in the classroom, while homework fortunately kept him afloat at a steady C+ to B-. He had a weekly sparring match with Hibari that Hana, as she had promised, witnessed with supplies on hand. More often than not Kyoko watched from the sidelines too, her big eyes worried and so like his madre that she was a presence that drew out more _oomph_ each match. Ryohei begged for a fight everyday but, as with Hibari (who grudgingly allowed the once-a-week rule thanks to it being on Gyudon Tuesday) Tsuna would only spar once with the boxer each Saturday. Nobu's training had only grown in harshness and gained a more military-like quality as Nobu gave him a diet plan lasting only six months while upping the weight and stamina training he went through.

Tsuna was surprised he had made it without more than four trips to the hospital, nearly all for his clumsiness and one being misfortune. He was knocked through a glass window while shopping with the girls, which resulted in Hana pretty much ripping the head off of a fat, mildly drunken man that decided to flee in the face of her rage. Kyoko, meanwhile, had already called an ambulance before she performed on-the-spot first aid with a kit Tsuna always carried.

In Tsuna's all too humble opinion he had not changed much from his No-Good self pre-friends. He still had trouble concentrating in a room full of mocking students and teachers who enjoyed belittling him, without too much 'cheating' with his Static his Gym grades remained below average as he disliked abusing the cheat his Static allowed, and he was still widely known as either No-Good or Health Hazard Tsuna.

He was still the same loser he always was, but then again Tsuna always did have far more trouble seeing value in himself.

 **o o o**

Over the last few months Tsuna had noticed his three same-age friends looking tired and, with the exception of Kyoko aside from scraped knees and hands, a bit battered. Tsuna reasoned out that Kyoko had actually started training her running speed and stamina, and Hana was probably learning some form of self-defence. As for Takeshi, whenever Tsuna asked why he looked beat up and had a cut on his cheek and several on his forearms, the boy grinned and said it was a surprise. Every single time.

It's only natural that Tsuna worried for his friends well-being, but Ryohei reassured him it was natural for them to want to make things better. The boxer never did clear up what _things_ meant, but Tsuna's training under Nobu was distracting enough for him to forget and simply continue worrying. To alleviate his nerves Tsuna made sure his friends had a good Nana-quality bento to refuel with at lunch, then stuttered through pestering them to drink more milk and to please stop pushing themselves so much.

Consciously mothering his friends always did make the boy nervous and prepared for mocking despite logic and friendship telling him they wouldn't. His group liked that he took care of them, and in turn they did their best to watch out for him to varying success.

 **o o o**

After nearly a year of listening to a semi-crazy martial artist talk about stuff (why Nobu laughed after mentioning wanting something called a _chimichanga_ mystified the future Decimo) Tsuna was positive that he had seen all the human weirdness possible. That was before he, on a rare day when he did not wear his weighted under clothes, flopped onto the grass of his favorite park (Nagakusa) for a rest in the shade. This was the day he was approached by an adorable little boy in March.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi?"

Tsuna sat up with a light groan and blinked in surprise at the boy. "Yeah... why do you ask?"

"My name is Fuuta de la Stella." This Fuuta had large and genuinely innocent eyes that immediately had Tsuna's heart melting. "You're number one... um, least able to say no to kids needing help! As well as number one to refuse to use kids!"

Tsuna used the tree to haul himself up and smiled worriedly at the boy. "Of course. Uh, what do you need help with?"

Fuuta perked up, looking hopeful. "People are after me and I've been running for months! They-"

"There he is! Get the brat!"

A group of seven older men in black suits came charging into the park. Seeing this, Tsuna immediately went from what his friends secretly think of as _Nana's Tsu-kun Mode_ to _Protective Lion Mode_ as he snapped to attention and pulled the kid behind him. He tossed his cell phone to Fuuta and instructed him to call Hibari for damage control.

"You, shrimp! Get out of here before we shoot you! We just want the book-brat and you can go free."

Tsuna's face darkened and his eyes blazed green as he settled protectively in front of the shaking boy who, commendably, appeared to already on the phone with Hibari and explaining their situation and position. Static sparked and filled Tsuna's every cell, wreathing him in a slight aura of wild green sparks as he concentrated the majority of it into his skin in preparation to at least survive being shot.

The first bullet hit near Tsuna's foot, drawing a scream from Fuuta who dropped the phone in his fright. This was a choice- stay and shield the boy they obviously want alive, or take a risk and go at them. Well, there's a third option.

"Fuuta, climb the tree and tell me when you're up as high as you can go."

"Okay!" The quick sounds of scraping and the slipping of feet, followed by rustling leaves that rapidly grew quieter, followed. More bullets were shot and two grazed Tsuna's bare calf and neck. Nothing but faintly pink lines could be seen. "Done, Tsuna!"

A relieved look flashed across the teenager's face before he twitched and moved in a blurr toward the Bad Guys still pointing their guns at him. With icy Intuition playing him like a fine instrument Tsuna listened to what his body wanted, moving and twisting around bullets until he was close enough to lash out with a foot that crashed into one man and sent three behind him flying into a heap of tangled limbs. Tsuna did not stop there, he knew that to stop moving was to give the scumbags time to properly shoot him. Along with the three that went down with the first unconscious body, the group of eight men withdrew various weapons like knives, formidable steel batons and a pair of _sai_. Tsuna felt no guilt about using his advantages on them by releasing a burst of his Static with each hit to send men flying into the black of unconsciousness.

More men came out of the woodwork and Tsuna gravitated toward Fuuta's tree in time to knifehand the neck of one industrious crook attempting to climb up. The number of bullets flying through the air increased as his attackers gained numbers and Tsuna screamed as four hit him in the sternum, chest, stomach, and thigh; mercifully all four were shallow hits thanks to his supercharged skin. He could feel the bullets there, stuck in his flesh and slowly working free as he continued moving and striking, quite used to the pain of broken bones and Nobu's brutal training. Hot blood soaked his shirt and long shorts and Tsuna was beginning to feel the sharp teeth of terror start gnawing at his unraveling calm- and NO, he can't lose his head! A little boy trusted Tsuna to help him without even knowing him, and while the absurdity of that would hit later, the young Sky would rather be damned than let the kid be taken for Kami knows what sorts of vile torture.

Tsuna had sent one man flying back and into another when he heard some of the most beautiful sounds in the world:

"Otōto!"

"Tsuna!"

"Attacking a student from Namimori. Time to die, worms."

The group of (Yakuza? Other?) turned at these words in time to be taken out by three very irate school children releasing a frightening amount of anger (and killing intent). Tsuna watched with a numb sort of relief as the group of thirteen remaining jackasses were rapidly taken out via gloved fist, tonfa and wooden bokken, and piled high on top of the nine Tsuna had finished off. Movement drew his attention to the left and Tsuna's legs gave out in relief at the sight of Hana and a tearful Kyoko rushing to his side, the former holding a big grey duffel bag over her shoulder. His wounds tore a bit, the last bullet from his chest slipping out from beneath his shirt and hitting the grass. He felt dizzy and a bit sick as the girls immediately forced him to lay down.

Kyoko had Tsuna's head in her lap and her trembling voice was soothing as she petted his hair and used a handkerchief to wipe away the sweat off his face. Hana used medical scissors to open up his shirt and she paused with a horrified expression on her face at both the sight of his wounds and pink scars stretching from one shoulder and clear across his upper chest. Marks made, no doubt, by an older man who had hurt him. Smothered protective rage welled up in Hana as she began to carefully clean each wound with saline and a large hypodermic-non-needle medical tool. Kyoko was crying quietly as she continued to hold Tsuna and try to comfort the now perfectly calm, if pained and slightly whimpering, boy. Tsuna dimly registered when Kyoko's touch became hot and invigorating in a strange way much like his Static, only the pain was fading and he felt stronger as each second ticked by. Tsuna opened his eyes to look up at Kyoko as she gazed at him with a grim determination marred by sadness, and he felt his heart skip at the bright yellow glow turning her eyes gold.

 _So, Kyoko-chan has special energy too, like madre and me..._ Tsuna smiled and reached up to wipe away her tears. Seeing him strong enough to move already brought a lovely smile to his friend's face as she held his hand to her cheek, taking comfort from it. Tsuna turned his attention to Hana, who was watching the bullet wounds on his torso glow yellow and close. His heart started pounding in a trickle of fear and resignation at how both his closest second and third friends saw the scars he wanted no one to see. When the wounds were healed and nothing but tender, dark pink scars remained, Hana looked up in time to see Kyoko sway a bit where she sat.

"Kyoko!" Hana said, immediately moving to cradle her friend as she slid sideways. "Talk to me, are you okay?"

"I-I'm okay, Hana-chan. I think I healed Tsuna-kun! I wanted him to feel better more than anything just a second ago, and look!" Kyoko's hooded eyes spoke of tired satisfaction as she gently brushed the dark scar on his chest. "Now I know how I can help!"

Tsuna sat up with a worried smile as he held his shirt closed. "Thank you, Kyoko-chan... but you need to learn how to control it before you do that again, okay? You have to give the energy time to grow with you, I think. Otherwise you can get tired and sick."

She looked at him with a cute little pout before nodding. "Okay, but you know about this, right? You glow green and turn super-human, so you can help me, right? Please?"

Hana rose an eyebrow at Tsuna, evidently not bothered or surprised at the development now that she verified that her friend is okay. That by itself speaks for how odd his friends are if even Take-No-Shit and Highly-Skeptical Hana is accepting the bizarre happening as nothing to freak about. Tsuna swallowed and nodded touching a scar on his stomach.

A hand gripped his upper arm and he found himself hauled up by Hibari, causing him to lose his grip on his shirt. The boy inspected Tsuna's stiff body and his sharp eyes narrowed at the new scars, then he reached out with his other hand and touched the one over-top his heart.

"Ah! H-Hibari, I'm okay. Y-you remember that green electricity I have?" A nod, eyes flickering to the tired and smiling Sasegawa female. "Kyoko-chan, she has yellow energy that healed me. I don't feel any of the blood loss, and the fatigue from my run is also gone."

Hibari looked Tsuna up and down and aside from a minute glare at the scars stretching across his chest, Hibari grunted and dropped his arm.

"Tsuna-nii! Is it safe now?"

Tsuna, holding his shirt closed, twitched and looked up in concern. "Fuuta! Y-yeah, come down! Just be careful!"

The sounds of a rapid descent followed before a branch snapped and the kid shrieked. When Fuuta's little body came crashing though the lush tree Tsuna paled and let out a strangled yell. He made to catch the boy, which would have resulted in a painful landing for Tsuna, but Fuuta was easily plucked out of the air by Hibari of all people. Tsuna's mouth dropped open along with Hana's.

Fuuta looked a bit star struck before he smiled brilliantly. "You're amazing, mister! Thank you very much!"

Hibari grunted in reply, nodding, and after placing the kid down with remarkable care for a carnivore like himself, he pretty much shoved him at Tsuna, who quickly caught Fuuta and held the boy steady.

"Watch your chibi, Anaguma."

Tsuna swallowed as he gently, and absently, returned the tight hug Fuuta was giving him. "M- _my_ chibi?"

Hibari smirked. "You shed blood in protecting this little cub, and by protecting him you made him yours. It's what a creature like you does."

With that Hibari turned, smacked Ryohei for being in his direct air space*, and left the park. Had it not been for Kyoko needing a piggy-back ride home Ryohei would have gone tearing after him for an extreme fight. Fuuta had yet to let go, perfectly content hugging a dazed Tsuna as the young Sawada's mind twisted and, to his private horror, understood exactly why Hibari said what he said. By protecting Fuuta he had staked his territory, claimed the kid as "his" to care for and protect, and-and... Well, shit.

"Hana-chan... am I easy to predict?" Tsuna said, voice sounding dangerously close to a whine. He petted Fuuta's hair and sighed, not even realizing what he was doing. "I mean, why did he have to go and say that?"

A laugh was all he received in answer before Hana went into her duffel and handed him a sweater, a familiar over-sized striped one he'd misplaced two weeks ago. Not at all bothered by his clothes being taken since they are criminally comfortable, Tsuna gratefully pulled it on before more than the girls and Fuuta could see his scars. The little boy said nothing and once more hugged Tsuna.

Takeshi, whether by providence or not, chose then to leave the unconscious Baddies and move to Tsuna's side where he crouched to talk face to face with little Fuuta. To Tsuna's embarrassment the baseball player was telling Tsuna's 'cub' that he would have a great time living with mamma and her son, and that Tsuna will make the best brother ever. Ryohei was already declaring Fuuta to be his little brother too, and even Hana, who usually dislikes all children on principle, seemed tolerant of Fuuta who was polite, sweet, and though Tsuna didn't realize it, strongly reminded the group of their Sky. Despite being tired Kyoko was mothering him by cleaning dirt off his face, and right then Tsuna was hit with an epiphany.

He tended to think of them as his family mainly as a comfort and pretty self-delusion, but it was the truth.

They really were _family_ (Hibari being that reclusive and terrifying relative only a select few ever want to visit), and that family had come to his rescue. Had Hibari called them after hearing gunshots and Fuuta's scream? Takeshi was dressed in his baseball uniform and Ryohei was dressed in his usual Boxing Outfit, and even No-Good Tsuna could come to the conclusion that they had dropped everything to come help him. Tears pricked at Tsuna's eyes and he stubbornly clamped down on the maelstrom of near overwhelming emotions threatening to break his walls. It wouldn't do to break down and have to answer inevitable questions.

His madre accepted Fuuta into the house as easily as she breathed and Fuuta was the perfect little helper. With his impeccable manners and naturally adorable appearance, the boy was a knockout combination. Wherever Fuuta went with Tsuna groups of old ladies and teenage girls were quick to flock and coo, which would lead to Tsuna clamming up and not talking until they were well out of range where he relaxed. Fuuta also had a strange ability to dispel gravity in the area directly surrounding him and to make very truthful _rankings._

Of course, listening to Fuuta read aloud what he wrote in that secretive book of his was both embarrassing and intriguing. Mostly mortifying.

"Tsuna-nii is number one for greatest potential, sixth for biggest heart, in the top three for most protective of their _Famiglia_ , in the first 200 of several thousand for pain tolerance, is in the top ten for most maternal males, and tenth for most unlucky."

The negating gravity and making rankings bit was surprising and had warranted a puppy-yelp and minor panicking until Tsuna realized that Fuuta was okay, that the floating stuff was a normal occurrence and nothing bad was happening. Then he shrugged it off, accepted that he had another peculiar member of the family who took to him just as much as he did to madre, and took care of Fuuta as best he could. Piero had even followed her human's lead and took the kid under her paw, so to speak. She followed Fuuta him around like she did for Tsuna when he was younger and much more helpless, and she was quite the Mother Bear personified as a huge cat.

 **o o o**

Tsuna did not notice when his madre began nudging him toward taking care of Fuuta more and more. Her reminders to him to remind Fuuta to drink his milk, eat his vegetables, and brush his teeth eventually grew into Tsuna mothering the sweet-natured child. Reading a story to Fuuta each night became an everyday thing that, unlike homework which he occasionally forgot, he never missed out on, just like with movie night involving everyone in Tsuna's group minus Hibari (who occasionally visited on quiet days for madre's food and seemed to tolerate Fuuta's presence).

It bothered Tsuna less than he pretended when Hana and Takeshi teased him for acting like a mom. More and more often Nana began referring to Tsuna as the man of the house and that, as the big man who likes to look after everyone, he definitely has to be a good papa to Fuuta. This flustered the young Sky more than it bothered him, and Fuuta began calling Tsuna papa to giggle over his 'big brother' stuttering and blushing like a tomato. That sight seemed to amuse everyone, even Hibari when it was just Tsuna and Fuuta in the same room.

Roughly three months after Fuuta first entered Tsuna's life the kid came up to him one afternoon on a Sunday and stood there fidgeting for several minutes before the future Decimo pulled him onto the couch and into a side hug.

"You don't have to be scared asking me anything, Fuuta-kun," Tsuna said soothingly as he tapped his pencil on the rough sketch of a sparrow he saw the day before. "I'm not going to judge you, I promise."

"Okay... um..." Fuuta played with the thin blue and white starry patterned summer scarf. He'd received it as a joint present from the Sawada mother and son.

Patience was becoming one of Tsuna's better virtues, the few he felt he had, and he smiled at the anxious silence Fuuta fell into. Looking to help the boy feel better he put his pencil and sketchbook to the side and pulled his Something-or-Other (brother felt like too weak a word) into a proper hug and ruffled his hair. Taking strength from Tsuna's loving hold, Fuuta took a deep breath and derailed that peaceful Sunday afternoon.

"C-can you be my papa? I've never had one and... and you feel like one."

Tsuna was frozen, tense and half waiting for his little housemate to yell "HAHA, it was a prank, Tsuna-nii!" but Fuuta's earnest, big Bambi eyes held nothing but sincerity and Tsuna felt a part of himself flinch in terror and another part that wanted to say yes right away. There was a lot of fear in the child's eyes and Tsuna saw that Fuuta was preparing himself for rejection.

"I-I... I wouldn't be a good d-dad... especially since I'm a kid, you know?"

Understanding dawned in Fuuta's doe-eyes and he threw his arms around Tsuna, accepting all the fear and insecurities his savior and male role model held inside.

"You're already like a papa, Tsuna!" And Fuuta proceeded to point out all the times the older boy acted like a guardian, parent, and friend, then the kid admitted that he had never felt so loved before and he didn't care that Tsuna had no faith in himself, Fuuta believed enough for the both of them. He was absolutely certain that Tsuna was his papa already.

Logic, Tsuna found, was frequently punted aside in his life, but he couldn't bring himself to hate it. Not when looking after Fuuta had become so important and a different sort of support he hadn't realized he'd needed. His madre needed him, yes, and she took care of him in any way she could, but Fuuta calling _him_ papa and relying on him, by needing him in the same way Tsuna needed his own madre, it soothed a piece of that supposedly rotting part of his heart. A constant and in-his-face reminder that he was _important enough_ to be really needed by someone not of blood.

He wouldn't pull an Iemitsu, that was for damn sure. Tsuna was too scared to make the promise but he had secretly vowed to be his best for Fuuta... Starting with saying goodbye to Lady Ursa, his giant panda plush. Fuuta had fallen in love with the giant fluffy toy and Tsuna found he couldn't say no to the unspoken question and had sneaked it into Fuuta's room when he was out with Nana and Takeshi (volunteered guard duty), who the littlest honorary Sawada had taken to calling _zia_ , meaning auntie.

 **o o o**

A lot of people were after Fuuta it seemed. Once the onslaught began Tsuna quickly discovered that, despite his aversion to such things, brutal mercy was his only method of taking out the threat before Fuuta, madre, or Piero could be touched or hurt too much. By _brutal mercy_ the Narrator means he breaks the legs and arms of men if they appear semi-immune to his Static, and for women he uses pressure points Nobu taught him, and then leaves all 'bodies' for Hibari to dispose of, as it seemed he was wont to do since the day he decided Fuuta belonged to Tsuna.

No one taken by Namimori police, or Hibari's vigilante pack, were ever seen from again, or so the rumors say.

This only meant that the number of those seeking Fuuta grew to the point where not only did Hibari increase patrols around the general area, Takeshi volunteered to sleep over for added protection. For months the budding swordsman became a fixture in the Sawada household. He never commented on the 'game' Tsuna made of flipping all pictures containing Iemitsu so they can't be seen, that lead Nana, minutes or an hour later, to walking through the area humming as she righted the photos. No, it didn't matter if Tsuna's kind and caring nature went sour towards his blood-father, he was _human_ and allowed to feel negative emotions. What mattered was his friend could smile and laugh, and Fuuta was obviously very important to him, and thus very important to Takeshi and the others.

Eventually Ryohei stayed over and the young Yamamoto stayed home for a month, intent on completing something for Tsuna and Fuuta, and returned with a real blade, a blunt steel practice one that, regardless of edge, he used most effectively in following Tsuna's example of Brutal Mercy while drawing little blood. He called this guarding of Fuuta the Protection Game to Tsuna's great exasperation. At least it was a game taken most seriously.

Nana had more than a few confrontations with would-be kidnappers invading home while her eldest sons (she viewed Takeshi, Ryohei and Hibari as such) were at school. This was the first attack after Fuuta's stay and Tsuna, who was planning to do homework with Takeshi, had nearly fainted at the sight of his mother with an honest-to-Kami dark glare as she whacked a slumped man with her marble rolling pin. Piero was closely following Nana's steps, favoring her back paw, and it was only Takeshi that kept him standing until Fuuta left his hiding place, wherever that may have been, and quickly clutched Tsuna in a desperate hug, muttering that _zia_ had been attacked and _I'm sorry, please don't kick me out, papa, I like it here! I'm safe, I don't have to feel scared when I'm with you and zia and your Famiglia! Please!_ Once Tsuna, Takeshi and Nana assured the boy he was here for life, he will never leave unless he wants to, Fuuta was practically a pile of mush from relief.

To Tsuna's surprise his madre explained that she had had another Episode, as she called her use of the Indigo Light. They were trying to take her son's boy and he was crying, and it was all so unacceptable and she knew Tsuna would fight, but she wasn't a fighter, and all she could do was desperately call upon that light to cripple them with fear before knocking all fifteen men out with her favorite rolling pin. Tsuna had bent to examine one and found that the knockout hits had been hard enough to draw a bit of blood. He was impressed and worried over the changes his madre was developing, but his Intuition whispered it was good for his unofficially adopted son and that was enough.

Knowing his madre was serious about protecting Fuuta filled him with adoration and even more respect for her and he had thought that impossible. Respect that Hibari seemed to share a bit of if his smirk, worn while directing his own gang of 'peace-keeping' miscreants, to take the bodies to Namimori's police, was anything to judge. He had nodded at Nana, a certain amusement clear in his sharp eyes, and when he turned to look at Tsuna sitting on the couch with a sleepy Fuuta using his lap as a pillow, there seemed to be a private joke going through his head.

It became clear exactly why the tonfa wielder was mildly amused when he called Nana _Mazakuma*_ when he left. Tsuna went to bed with a headache that night.

 **o o o**

Tsuna snapped awake at the sound of an alarm clock given to him by Nobu. It was built into the wall above his small book case across his room. These days, when he remembers to set the clock that forever resets to default no alarm mode each morning, Tsuna wakes up to a scary series of loud tiger roars until he can stumble across crumpled failed drawings and sketchbooks to slap the cancel button. Standing there slumped against his book case, Tsuna debated the pros and cons of crawling back into bed since Nobu had gone away for a while to take care of "catfish-trafficking business" and therefore wouldn't be pestering him.

"Papa?" Tsuna looked up, rubbing sleep from his eyes, and smiled at Fuuta poking his head into the room. " _Zia_ has breakfast waiting downstairs and I made the _okayu_ all by myself today!"

Tsuna shuffled over and gave his _bambino_ a hug and gently pushed him off to go eat. The usual morning routine followed and he slowly made his way down the staircase with his own school bag over his shoulder. He decided to forego his normal morning run in favor of eating with Fuuta and watching a cartoon with the boy before walking to school with Takeshi and the rest. By this time his friend slept over less often as the number of Fuuta Hunters dwindled.

Downstairs, however, he was met with a peculiar sight. A frowning Fuuta was staring down some strange child and instinctively Tsuna stepped in between, shielding his son from what _did not_ give off the feel of a baby. The not-child was the size of a small toddler and dressed in a smart suit and fedora that served as a perch to one cute but odd chameleon. Black eyes, large and unfathomable, looked at Tsuna with an unusual severity not found in normal kids. Ten seconds of mutual staring occurred before Tsuna forced himself to relax and put on his best Cyanide Smile. It got a blink in response. Evidently a look like that on _him_ was not what most people expected.

"Hello there, my name is Tsuna. How did you get in here and why?"

The baby was silent for a moment, looking at him in a measuring way, then-

"Tsu-kun!" His madre walked in from the back-garden with some ripe vegetables and berries in separate baskets, and paused at the odd sight that she did not like. Fuuta huddled behind Tsuna, frowning at Reborn and clutching her son in a way that seemed protective, and Tsuna had a familiar stance that made him a living shield. "This... is your home tutor, Tsu-kun. Reborn, my sweet boy and his son, Fuuta-kun!"

Reborn's dark eyes narrowed slightly. "Son?"

Tsuna frowned and nodded. "It just kinda happened but yes, Fuuta-kun is my _bambino_. As long as you treat him well you and I won't have a problem."

Nana clapped her hands cheerfully, always happy when her son took his fatherly duty seriously, and within moments everyone was seated with a plate of food before them.

Reborn wasn't sure how she did it, but at least the food was delicious. He listened and watched the young Decimo interact with his 'son', pointing out that the boy had to have his milk and his eggs or he'll be scrawny when he grows up, a statement the present Arcobaleno found amusing since the older boy before him was willowy and delicate looking. Nana explained to Tsuna that he, the tutor, was there to help him become the leader of his generation, and doesn't that sound good? Noticing her son's pinched expression and reluctance she smiled and patted his cheek before saying the words that condemned him: "I know you don't like this, Tsu-kun, but you know you need help, and I would be very happy if you gave your tutor a chance. Can you do that for me?"

Fuuta, evidently aware of what Reborn is and who he represents, looked a bit heartbroken and worried when his papa agreed in the face of his mother's earnest concern and request.

 **. . .**

Observing Tsuna throughout the day was both boring and intriguing. He had his own circle of friends capable of abilities that, had they not been in close contact with such a powerful sealed Sky, would have made Reborn a bit antsy, though if one used that word with him they would be riddled with holes, healed, and shot again.

A dish in the sink had broken without anyone realizing it and Tsuna had given himself a nasty cut on what Iemitsu's report said was his dominant hand, and all anyone did was wrap his wound up well and send him off with a firm order to get Kyoko, one of his close friends, to fix him up. The girl in question appeared sweet in nature and cheerful, and had scolded Tsuna for not being careful before, without any difficulty, summoning sparkling Sun Flames to her fingers as she held his hand. A pink scar remained on his palm when the bandages were removed, but for someone not using a ring that was amazing, even Reborn could privately admit that.

Obviously there was more to Iemitsu's son than the gossipy moron knew, because on the way to school Kyoko's friend Kurokawa Hana smirked in triumph and showed the Cloud ringed Rain flame she could summon to her palms. Two boys met them on the way and Tsuna, looking resigned, worried, and proud all at once, asked them how they were doing on practicing using their 'energy'. Yamamoto Takeshi displayed a palm full of brilliant Rain that more than rivaled the Nono's own Rain Guardian in flame purity. Then there was Sasegawa Ryohei, Kyoko's older brother, and his eyes even gained a glow as he summoned flames to his fist that put Brow Nie Jr's own to shame.

"All that leaves is Hibari-senpai," Tsuna said, gazing at his own fist of Lightning. "His must be used inwardly. It's probably why he's got a monster's physical power..."

Takeshi wrapped Tsuna in a lingering side hug as the group walked to school. "Maa, Tsuna you can worry until you're old and gray, but Hibari will be Hibari and you can't control the wind, right?"

Tsuna hung his head and nodded. "I'm not worrying about him, guys, I'm worried for my own health. He's frustrated that he hasn't been able to bring up his own energy and he takes it out on me every time we spar. It's starting to feel like a death match..."

Ryohei ruffled Tsuna's hair. "Relax, Otōto, we're always there watching from a distance! If he gets too excited we'll jump right in and Kyoko can heal you before he drags you back!"

"Yeah..." That was slightly comforting. "Hibari is still terrifying."

Hibari Kyoya, son of an agoraphobic woman that is the daughter of a filthy rich corporation owner that funds the Namimori police, the hospital, and most major businesses in town. If Reborn had his information right, and it _should be_ since the Irukaza Group, Vongola allies, are the mogul's owning Shichishoku Corp. A monolithic corporation specializing in several areas: Medicine and Health, Survival Tools and Supplies, Weapons and Tech, and even Botany. Hibari Mitsuko was once a hitwoman who is fraternal twin to the monstrously strong Irukaza boss, which made Hibari Kyoya more than slightly "pedigreed" as his mother once changed the landscape of a large island base that was taken over by the Irukaza. What was more, she clearly had control over her Cloud Flames as she had been known for never running out of knives, dart-bombs, and bullets. Mitsuko had given her services exclusively to the Vongola as per her father's orders, and months after the birth of her son she suffered a trauma before disappearing from the underworld.

Interesting choice of associate this little Decimo has.

As Tsuna and his group entered the school gates and started heading for the main building Tsuna turned to face a tall black haired boy sauntering toward them with a smirk on his face and his lecherous gaze on Kyoko. Reborn could feel a change in the air and smell ozone as Tsuna slid between Kyoko and the newcomer.

"Mochida-senpai, I'll make this clear once more, Kyoko-chan has as much interest in dating you as she does in kissing a viper. _Back. Off. Now_. Before this gets difficult."

There was a hard and curious tone in Tsuna's voice, a quality that grabbed attention and almost inspired respect. Beside him Takeshi and Ryohei turned, body language ready to fight and defend. This Mochida brat sneered and grabbed Tsuna by the front of his shirt and it was a good sign that the other two boys, including Hana, shifted as though about to lunge at the brat holding their friend, and the only thing keeping them in their place was faith in their Sky.

Tsuna sighed. "I don't want to fight you, Mochida-senpai, but I will if you keep bothering Kyoko-chan."

By this time dozens of students had gathered (at a distance) to watch the proceedings. Mochida growled, displeased that Tsuna was neither scared nor bothered by being in his sights, and shoved Tsuna back before demanding a fight that would decide who Kyoko belonged to. At that exact wording Kyoko glared, Takeshi frowned, Hana bristled and snarled, and Ryohei cracked his knuckles. Tsuna's hand blurred as he quickly entered Mochida's personal space and twisted his wrist. The brat let out a muffled scream.

"Kyoko-chan is no prize and no object, you _maggot_ ," he said, voice too soft to be a growl but still quite dangerous. He persisted in the painful hold. "It's a primitive way of thinking. How fitting."

Mochida shook his hand free because he was let go. "F-Fine! Whoever beats the other in a fight after school today gets to take her out on a date! If you win I'll never bother her again!"

Tsuna still had an angry look in his eyes as he nodded, placated by the change of 'prize'. Obviously he felt there was no chance he'd lose. Mochida turned and fled into the school and the other students who had watched looked gobsmacked by Tsuna's defending Kyoko in such a way. Either he keeps a low profile in school or he was such a wimp he ran from every trouble and Reborn's own appearance had simply shaken him. Somehow, the Arcobaleno doubted his presence had off-balanced Tsuna all that much, not when he has his own fledgling _Famiglia_ backing him.

The intriguing Decimo walked into school with his arm held hostage by an amused Hana who began poking one of both red cheeks. Reborn smirked, _almost_ pleased that it seemed he wasn't teaching another Dino, but that remained to be seen. He had only observed a few sides of Tsuna, but what he saw was quite promising. The rest, that curious development of taking _the_ Fuuta de la Stella on as surrogate son, was a blip that wouldn't be repeated, he hadn't taken on a total bleeding heart as a student, he was sure.

And that weird chill he felt? The cold wind of a storm developing.

 **xxxxxxxxxxxxx**

 **About Fuuta being able to rank who would most likely help him? Nobu. Leavin' it at that! :D**

 **HIBARI SPEAK: Herbivores are the general populace he views as harmless, weak, stupid, ETC, and therefore not worth thinking about- they haven't done anything to arouse his bloodlust, like his father used to do. So calling someone a worm means Kyoya (and the rest of the Hibari's) are in a** _ **Mortally Maim Some Bitches**_ **mood. If someone really catches a Hibari's attention then they generally assign a sort of nickname bluntly showing and telling how they view somone.**

 **** About Ryohei Being In Hibari's Air Space: Has anyone ever seen more than a few episodes of** _ **Hey! Arnold**_ **? I... I kinda imagined that scene as Ryohei being Brainy and Hibari being Helga. I'm trying not to laugh as I type this.**

 **** Also, yes, I'm fully aware that THIS chapter is one of the most Hit-or-Miss ones I've written for this yet. I just... I picture this Tsuna as being such a caring and fluffy person until the right buttons are pushed, and since he also feels like a better person, and important, when he takes care of others, I feel like this fits.**

 **REVIEWS: If you see any mistakes and stuff feel free to tell me, I'll get to it when I can. :) As for updating... I MIGHT not get another chapter up on Wednesday. Might... I would really appreciate general reviews, just little thoughts on what you liked, disliked, ETC, or a pairing you'd like to see hints of.**


	7. Chapter Seven

**THANK YOU TO: Reapergenesis32, general zargon, XxShadowfangxX, Guest 1, Not-Gonna-Update, Sceonn, detrametal, Guest 2, Arashi - IV of VI, sympatheticassassin, Akayuki Novak, Phoenix Lumen, Kuroi Rin, suzie, LoneWolfsRage, Gentle Snow, Sawada Ten-chan, Alicia Testarossa, Guest, turtlefan16, Natsu Yuuki, and MissSexyRain.**

 **TO OTHERS: I don't often check my email. I know I should. So here, thank you to everyone who favorited and followed the story after this chapter. :)**

 **Guest 1: TsunaxKyoko and TsunaxHana will happen, I'm just not sure when. There are little hints here and there though. :) Thanks for reviewing.**

 **Guest 2: Reborn and Tsuna's relationship will differ from canon, but I'm pretty sure I make that obvious here in this chapter. :) Thanks for reviewing.**

* * *

 _ **"One kind word can warm three winter months." ~ Japanese proverb.**_

* * *

Lunch appeared to be a time of revelations as everyone gathered on the roof.

The little Hitman made sure no one was nearby to hear anything, and was quite blunt an informed Tsuna about the mafia in front of his _Famiglia_. He made sure no one asked any questions until he was done explaining that Tsuna was to become the boss of the Vongola, the strongest mafia around with a very bloody history to match. He, Reborn, would be training Tsuna to become a leader and that as his _Famiglia_ those gathered right there would have to know about his future and the Flames of the Sky in order to remain at his side.

Tsuna was admittedly privately freaked out about being chosen as the head of a mafia. Most of him just did not believe it despite his Intuition burning cold and hot and saying otherwise. Without his Lightning Flame boosting his mental capacity Tsuna would have been very lost as Reborn explained each Flame starting with the Sun and working his way up to the Sky. Being told he would lose his Lightning in favor of Sky somehow scared Tsuna more than the mafia business. Sky is the strongest of the seven Flames and naturally Harmonizes and strengthens others that the Sky accepts, whether meaning to or in their subconscious. Following that Reborn pointed out the significance of being able to use their Flames without the use of proper focuses, like rings of precious metal with high quality stones.

There was a long silence after this as everyone processed this. Even Ryohei seemed to be thinking about something more than his boxing and training. Tsuna was watching his Lightning arc across his palm and hoping he wouldn't lose it.

Finally someone spoke.

"It's Tsuna. He's the catalyst," said Hana, smiling slightly at the nervous lion-monkey. "As the only constant most of us hold in common, barring the gorilla, he has to be why we access our... Flames of the Sky."

Reborn nodded at her. Level headed, accepting and quite obviously in tune with her Sky, Kurokawa Hana already seemed a good fit with Tsuna's _Famiglia._

"EXTREME! It's thanks to Otōto that I can do awesome stuff!" Tsuna barely braced himself in time for the rugby style tackle-hug Ryohei pulled on him. "My boxing club can't keep up me I'm so EXTREME, thanks!"

Tsuna groaned and tapped the roof in defeat and Takeshi pulled the boxer off with a laugh.

"Tsuna-kun _**can't**_ become the head of such a mafia," came Kyoko's quiet, steady words. She had voiced what mostly everyone else was thinking, and Takeshi was sure Tsuna wouldn't like a 'mafia game' either. All heads turned toward her and she gripped Hana's arm for comfort while her face remained in a soft glare. "Tsu-Tsuna-kun isn't the type to accept that kind of position, Reborn-san. He would sooner change or stop the mafia th-then join it."

Tsuna and Hana marveled at how seriously their usually air-headed and sweet friend looked. What she said was very true and it touched the Sky that she knew him so well and would stand up to a presence like Reborn. The baby was looking at her closely and she held his eyes without blinking. A minute passed and not even Ryohei broke the silence before the little hitman pulled his hat down and hid his face.

"True, _signora_... I'm starting to see how much of a bleeding heart my student is. If he's been like this for years it's an impossible habit to break, but I can at least put some steel into that goodness, otherwise it's a weak sentiment and will get people killed more often than not. Besides..." Reborn looked up and there was a glint in his eyes. "The Nono said he would count on the next generation to change the Vongola."

Whether or not Reborn said that to placate Kyoko, Tsuna was glad for the worried seriousness to leave her face.

"What will becoming boss mean for Tsuna?" said Hana, squinting at the hitman. "Is he going to have to fight?"

"Yes, he will have to defeat many an enemy on his way to the top. Being declared the Decimo is a risky business and the three heirs, sons of the Nono, are all dead and in one case he's in something of a coma."

Tsuna paled and shuddered beside Kyoko. The Sun user wrapped her arm around him and rubbed his shoulder as the full impact of what Reborn explained hit like a sledgehammer to the face. Ignoring the problem and thinking it's not real won't do anyone any good, least of all him. With his Intuition pretty much slapping him with the urge to believe Reborn about all the mafia business, he could not keep pretending. He, No-Good and Health Hazard loser was the only one left, their last resort. He could be killed, he would probably be killed, and he would leave Fuuta and his madre alone with no one but an absent bastard to watch over and protect them. Tsuna's breathing was coming in short gasps and he felt like the world was shrinking in on him before a heavy hand landed on his shoulder. His breath caught and he looked up to see Takeshi smiling at him gently, and the look in his eyes said it all. Tsuna isn't alone, he has his friends, the people that came to his rescue in the on the day he first met Fuuta, and Takeshi's expression promised he would not fight alone. Like that, in a blink, Tsuna's breathing regulated and he was better in seconds.

"Tsuna, I know when to take a game seriously, and if this is such a dangerous adventure you know I would never let you drown, right?"

The irrational urge to hug Takeshi and hide his face against the taller teen's chest was so startling that Tsuna lost some of the color he had regained, and could only nod. Where had _that_ come from? Nowhere good. Absolutely nowhere good...

Lunch was quiet after that until Ryohei got particularly loud. Hibari dropped down from the top of the roof entrance, scaring Tsuna and startling most of those present, and smacked the boxer for disturbing his nap before kicking him down the stairs. When those dark eyes settled on the others Tsuna mimed zipping his mouth shut and the prefect returned to his perch. Reborn had disappeared somewhere in the distraction Hibari had made and mercifully everyone ate quietly before leaving to go back to class.

 **. . .**

Once the school bell rang Tsuna did not hesitate to head toward the gym with his usual pack at his side, and the moment he noticed the suspicious level of sound coming out from under the door he felt his stomach curl with dread.

His fear was realized when he pushed open the door to stare in abject horror at the sea of students waiting inside. His expression was clear for anyone to see and students started whispering and laughing at how No-Good Tsuna will fail and he would lose the charity-case friendship he had with Kyoko and the rest of his group, and how he would have to go to the hospital. Even with the cruel words being tossed around Tsuna felt little inclination to risk showing any possible Flame Actives his Lightning, he was too much of a coward for that right then, and since the people he trusted were _far, far_ outnumbered by those he was never comfortable with, he couldn't. A part of him shriveled and recoiled violently from that notion.

What kept him from collapsing was Takeshi and Hana, both true Rains, each placing a hand on his shoulder and calming away the fear with a touch infused with their Flames. Tsuna breathed deep and looked to Kyoko, catching her worried eye (no doubt she had seen the start of a panic attack, she was sensitive to other's suffering after all) and he smiled apologetically.

"I-I'm not sure I can go all out, Kyoko-chan, I'm sorry in advance if I lose."

Before she could speak Ryohei slapped a hand on his back and gave him a thumbs up. "No worries, Otōto! Mochida didn't say that the date had to be with my sister alone!"

Tsuna laughed in relief. Why didn't he notice that? Oh, right, he's No-Good with two capitals.

"There you are, Dame-Tsuna! Prepare to lose! Heaven won't accept a worthless piece of trash like you! And when I'm done beating your corpse you won't even be recognizable!"

A chill filled the air and Tsuna turned his head to see his friends (minus a bored looking prefect) and- _What, Fuuta-kun's here? Why is he standing near Hibari?!_ \- his son looking Very Unimpressed by the needless chatter of Mochida. Hana and Takeshi in particular drew Tsuna's attention and they gave off a very icy feeling. He could really feel a chill! Despite the natural looking smile his male Rain possessed Takeshi's presence was every bit as scary as Hana's glare. Students cleared a space of three yards around his entire group and Tsuna put on his best smile for them. It wasn't hard, they were upset _on his behalf_ , upset that someone had treated him so cruelly and so publicaly. At his smile, and the subconsciously projected ease he felt, they relaxed and the people nearest them shook off the Frozen Stone look they sported.

Tsuna rolled his shoulder and reached into his sports duffel to withdraw a pair of weapons before tossing the bag to Takeshi. Two special tonfa with an odd leathery grip in black were held firmly in his grip. He received a note from Kusakabe saying he had permission to use them in the fight and that if he didn't, Hibari would bite him bloody.

Weeks ago he received them as an early birthday present from his father. A letter came with them, one detailing that the light gold looking weapons were supposedly made made of a chromium alloy containing gold, platinum and carbon, and the fact that Iemitsu wrote 'Perfect for conducting a spark!' said a lot that left Tsuna highly frustrated and correctly suspecting something that boggled and poked his Rage Monster. The most dangerous part of getting _tonfa_ was informing Hibari of it and hoping that the fallout did not leave him needing an extended stay at the tolerant Sasegawas'. Hibari, however, reacted in a way Tsuna had not expected in the least.

The prefect had smirked and roughly patted his head like a dog for the first time in months and said, "You finally got your fangs, Anaguma. Throw away the useless baby teeth now."

Hibari had pointedly eyed the shell-shocked Tsuna until the boy mechanically plucked out his two steel tambo and hurried toward the garbage bin, left them propped up for him to get later and return to Nobu, and returned for a spar that left Tsuna all but comatose on the grass. That had been one of the few times no one was around to give him support. Hibari, rarely one for actually talking on the phone, texted Kyoko (a female herbivore he tolerated a bit more than Hana) and Tsuna awoke in Ryohei's messy room later that day.

Mochida gawked at the sight of his weapons and he turned, along with the rest of the students, to stare at Hibari. An almost smirk had been the tugging the corners of that prefect's lips before he glared death at everyone staring. Mochida pointed his shinai at Tsuna with a dark glare.

"That's against the rules, you filthy slacker!"

Tsuna frowned at Mochida. "It's not, _maggot_. This morning you forgot to specify any rules on weapons, so just be careful with the force you use and your glorified stick won't break too early."

The upperclassman balked and shook with rage and the fight began without so much as a 'BEGIN' from the referee.

Mochida was quick to attack Tsuna's legs and arms and maneuver him around the space made by the surrounding students, and while Mochida was at first under the impression he was forcing Tsuna to move at his leisure, the Sky really was shifting and avoiding most of the hits and trying to gauge how strong Mochida really is. To the idiot's credit he had what seemed to be real skill and had it been a sword in his hands he would be a semi-worthy fight, but as it is Tsuna was mostly interested in playing with the moron and testing his limits by striking at vulnerable spots in his defense and barely tapping them when he wasn't blocked. Once it was clear that he did not have the advantage like he'd wanted, and was failing in putting up a good fight with No-Good freaking Tsuna, Mochida quickly grew enraged and desperate. Despite the different situation Tsuna could recognized this desperation as the type to unlock raw potential. His Intuition encouraged further toying with Mochida, taunting him without words via yet more light taps and not even reacting to the strikes he allowed Mochida to land. Tsuna himself wanted to see the idiot's potential, and if he was worthy of getting any respect from a No-Good boy like Tsuna.

Eventually Mochida let out an enraged scream as he struck at Tsuna once more, and to the very few who could see Flames Mochida was blazing with a Sun Flame of a murkier color than the Sasegawas'. Tsuna swallowed hard and cursed his curiosity, and upon seeing that no one but his own people were reacting to Mochida suddenly resembling a Super Saiyan, he frowned and activated a low supercharge in his body to keep up better with Mochida's far more damaging strikes and his Kami-damned _regenerating weapon_. Tsuna soon began to panic and his stance was getting sloppy. Even Ryohei, for all his purer and more powerful flame, could not yet draw out as much as Mochida's enraged self could. Worse, Lightning Flames appeared to have no affect on the upperclassman.

As Mochida caught Tsuna in the stomach and sent him flying clear across the room and nearly through a wall, Tsuna was hit with a chill. The older boy really would win and with potential like _that_ how could he protect Kyoko from further advances? No, there had to be a way, he had to get stronger... A strange clicking drew Tsuna's attention to a corner of the gym and he spotted Reborn pointing a green sniper rifle at him. Tsuna had time to blink and wish he hadn't let Kyoko and Ryohei down before pain and darkness hit.

With his body still half stuck in the wall, Tsuna's head fell forward and he went limp. Hana and Kyoko were being held back by Takeshi and Ryohei, both of whom looked nervous, and two seconds later a feeling of raw power flooded the room. Few could feel it and those that did gasped and fell to their knees, with the exception of Hibari who briefly had a pleased, intensely feral grin on his face. A rough roar of "REBORN!" cut the utter silence of the gym and Tsuna burst out of his clothes and into a stance that Nobu and few others would recognize, though one of Reborn's years and knowledge recognized the loose stance as belonging to a hybrid physical art created by a certain former Yakuza group. But the stance isn't what really had Reborn's and everyone else's attention.

Tsuna never changed in front of anyone after that attack in the alleyway and Kyoko had healed him quickly enough that only Hibari, herself, and Hana (and a thoughtful Fuuta) had gotten a glimpse at the suspicious scars stretching across his narrow chest. Coupled with what, to the untrained eye, appeared to be cigarette burns and the remains of other clear signs of abuse, the student body was silent and horrified. They never thought about Tsuna's home life, never pondered what would make him so No-Good. Even Mochida, as caught up in his anger as he'd been, paused at the sight of all those scars. Reborn felt angry at the sight of the claw marks that were clearly the work of a large man, a man that had held him from behind, probably choked him, and meant to do unspeakable things. May have done so. The four pink marks were possibly two or three years old, which would make them hard to do away with even using Reborn's superior Sun. Iemitsu never specified events of trauma, only saying that his son knew how to hold his own in a fight, was a bit No-Good, and that he had suffered a lot of broken bones because of the sealing. That foolish bastard hadn't mentioned his son being the victim of a sexual assault. Was he even aware?

In Dying Will Mode Tsuna stood stock still, a snarl on his face as two sides of him warred. They were the side his madre and himself had cultivated, the self-control he had hammered into his subconscious in case he ever came close to losing himself to the little Rage Monster living in his heart, and the wild and thoughtless Other-Self trying to rip his body from his control. The Sky Presence unleashed had remained in the room, pressing into every corner and coiling around everyone, warming the air and bringing with it a sense of danger. When the Tsuna-side won out, smashing apart that non-consciousness, he lifted his head and Reborn was almost startled to see a true Hyper Dying Will in play, and what _did_ startle Reborn enough to blink his shock was the fact that Tsuna's Sky moved and flickered like richly colored amber Lightning.

A softly purred "Wao" broke the silence and just like that Mochida shook off his stupor and charged, shinai raised. Tsuna lifted his tonfa and with the barest thought of want he had both weapons covered in his Sky-Lightning Flames. The fight was done in a scant few seconds. Tsuna slammed one tonfa into Mochida's stomach and with a flick of the other tonfa sent the older boy's shinai flying clear across the room and through a conveniently open window. Tsuna used his two weapons to easily flip a terrified Mochida's over and pin him down. Tsuna's peculiar Flame flared according to his Intuition guided will and enveloped Mochida briefly and that aura of Sun receded.

"Do you yield, senpai?"

"Y-you win, damn it!"

Tsuna stood while still cocooned in the comforting heat of his Flame and simply left the area with as much of his dignity intact and tonfa in hand. Takeshi and the rest, minus Hibari, followed him. There were congratulations in subdued voices that Tsuna wasn't completely paying attention to because he was caught up in the familiar heat of his Sky, but a hard smack from Reborn and his Leon-hammer ended that as his Flame faded. He stared at the tiny bullet on the ground, swaying on his feet as his nerves and muscles began to burn horribly. That little bullet had released what that old bastard imprisoned...

"Are you okay?" Fuuta said as he wrapped his papa in a firm hold. "You look sick!"

Takeshi gently pulled Fuuta away and just as Tsuna was beginning to crumple the Rain user scooped him up into a bride-hold. "Tsuna, you're okay. You're fine."

Still dazed and struggling to really understand what he had been given back, Tsuna looked up into Takeshi's concerned face only to notice he wasn't looking at his face. The Rain's rich brown-amber eyes were on Tsuna's chest and looked pained. With a start Tsuna's stupor broke and he felt his stomach churn as his senses returned to him. Touch told him he was all but naked and the world could see how damaged he was*. Horror warred with shame and he almost wanted to scream as tears pricked his eyes. Deciding to screw his male pride, as he had never had much of it to begin with, he turned and hid his face against Takeshi's chest and the irony of that wasn't lost on him as it made the whole thing even worse. Takeshi said nothing as he tightened his hold and let Tsuna tuck himself close, in fact he rested his cheek on the shaking Sky's head and wished he could make this better. Tsuna went limp in Takeshi's arms once it was clear he wasn't being rejected and his tears flowed free. He did meep when something warm and soft was draped over his chest area. Turning showed that Reborn, looking remarkably somber for his physical age, had placed blanket-Leon on him.

"Th-thank you."

Reborn nodded and tipped his hat down, hiding his face.

No one asked Tsuna about the scars he hates. It was clear even to dense Ryohei that his little brother would not react well, and so the hitman tutor waited until later that night to explain part of the situation to Nana and ask about the scars. Nana's eyes flashed that pale rich blue and she had stared at Reborn with a seriousness that was disconcerting on her meant-to-be happy face. She quietly explained in detail what happened that night, and that she had had an Episode and saved her boy from a worse trauma. That she had been in danger too appeared to mean nothing to her, she had all her attention focused on her son, his friends, and Fuuta. If moron Iemitsu's report could be trusted than like his mother Tsuna had a habit of putting his family, both lowercase and capital, before himself.

Unused to dealing with people of her and Tsuna's kind (except, maybe Dino), Reborn had bid her good night and found Fuuta sharing Tsuna's bed in a transparent and thoughtful effort to offer comfort.

 **o o o**

There are some days that Tsuna walks to school alone and enjoys the quiet. After that unpleasant fight after school the day before, Tsuna called his friends and said he would meet them at the school gate. Reborn intruded on his quiet morning by lounging in his hair like a tiny king and the Sky couldn't be bothered to risk his hand, or head, dislodging the trigger happy infant who made Tsuna dance by shooting at his feet not thirty minutes earlier.

"Reborn, is there any particular reason you have to sit in hair like that?"

The hitman kicked him and Tsuna stumbled. "I can sit on you wherever I want. Your hair is like a comfortable nest, Dame-Tsuna. Do you ever lend it to lazy birds?

Silence was all the hitman got and he inwardly frowned at how Tsuna, so far, let the baby's barbs go over his head quite literally. But right as he was about to kick Tsuna into the wall he sensed a change in the boy's posture, a straightening in preparation to say something. When the boy politely asked his tutor to stand on the wall for a moment it was only out of curiosity that the infamous hitman did so.

Tsuna bowed low before standing up and looking at his tutor with eyes full of earnestness. "Thank you. I haven't... felt free like this, with my Sky Flame, since I was nearly five. An old man used to visit with Iemitsu and the last time I saw that old bastard he sealed my Sky Flames and crippled me."

Reborn jumped to Tsuna's shoulder with the same ease as before but inside the hitman felt tense. Was his student talking about the Nono? He hadn't been informed that his student's flames had been sealed by the Vongola boss himself, he was sure it had been the kids father. The tense posture, white knuckled grip on his school strap, and a certain shadow in his eyes told Reborn that there was probably a sea of anger, if not complete loathing, toward the Nono. Things just became a headache in the making.

"Crippled?" Broken bones were a given, but depending on how strongly bonded someone was to their Flame it varied in severity.

"Madre used to compare me with to squirrels and Hibari used to liken me to a flying squirrel because he once chased me through the branches of a two dozen trees without either of us once touching the ground..." Tsuna turned and smiled at Reborn, looking awkward and quite hopeful. "I missed being up in the trees and even with Lightning helping my me gain a hint of what I'd had before, it was impossible. The one time I tried to leap from one tree to the next I broke ribs and my left arm. And those were only the two of 20 others I broke when I was six."

"Sounds like you had a strong synchronization with your Flame at that age."

"Mm... I used to try and make excuses for the old man. Logically I know he did it to protect me from a power I didn't understand, but the loss turned me into... I..." Tsuna's unique Sky Flame filled the air with burned ozone and he breathed deeply to calm himself. "My madre nearly died multiple times because of me over the years. One time it was me tripping and getting my shoe stuck in the metal rail thing that street cars use. Another is when I tripped and brought the both of us falling down a long flight of stairs. It was all me and..."

Reborn had one hand in his pocket and the force of his clenched fist would turn a stone to dust. "You really hate yourself. _You_ think you're completely worthless."

Tsuna flinched at those blunt words, breath halting for several seconds, and Reborn wanted to make the Nono dance for him too and maybe shoot off a foot in the process. Brow Nie Jr. can certainly reattach and heal a dismembered limb. Back to the matter at hand, that meddling old man should have brought someone in to watch over and teach Tsuna instead of risking a Flame Sealing at such a young age... Now he has a pre-trained and physically strong student who has debilitating self-esteem issues, had gone through a traumatizing experience (multiple, most likely) and trust may be hell to gain from him. He wasn't used to vulnerable students as they needed a kindness he was certain he lacked in total. And as for Flame Damage, Reborn could only hope for it to be minimal.

"Tsuna, look at me now." The Sky reluctantly faced his tutor, failing in not looking as vulnerable as he evidently felt. Reborn felt a bit old knowing that tutoring this one will be a trial. "As you have experienced, cutting someone off from a Flame they were naturally in perfect sync with has detrimental consequences. It often leads to accidental death and in some cases those who eventually have their primary Flame released never have the same connection. You are not to blame, the old Sky is. One day you will be better than he ever was and I will ensure ensure that."

There was a heavy silence as Tsuna's eyes darkened and the scent of burned ozone became almost stifling.

"You... you work for him, don't you?" His voice was low, rough, and almost a whisper. Tsuna's knuckles were white with the effort to keep himself from doing anything stupid.

"Before that my only loyalty was to myself alone. Right now my goal is to help _you_ become strong. He knows my alliance with the Vongola _was_ one of mutual benefits and never permanent. Now, do you think I need permission from an old fool to watch over you? No one rules the World's Greatest Hitman. I'll send him word of my resignation and decision to remain teaching you."

It wasn't a difficult decision to make. Reborn would readily admit he was at least mildly was interested in the young Sky's already honed raw potential, while inwardly he admitted only to himself that he was intrigued and already invested in seeing Tsuna become greater than he could have been on his own. Great enough to beat the Nono, Iemitsu, and anyone else that has, or ever will, wrong him. Being a bit vindictive is always a good thing as long as you're smart about it, and the Arcobaleno had a feeling Tsuna could be quite crafty sometimes. Working with the boy to demolish insecurities and that self-hate will be hell, the hitman was certain of that, but the pay off would be worth it. Hell, maybe Reborn would stick around and work with Tsuna when the boy becomes boss.

Sky glowed in Tsuna's eyes as he took Reborn's measure. A long minute passed before the Decimo smiled and lit up the street. The trust in his eyes, however small, was clear to see and Reborn knew he was on the right track. Beating Tsuna into submission and displaying brutal dominance would have worked in a different life as it had on Dino, but he needed a more delicate touch this time around. He could feel a migraine coming on, especially knowing the potential shit storm he was bringing upon himself by his choices. It was needed though, Tsuna had to know that the Nono was not pulling strings, it was all the Hitman Tutor's decisions.

"Now that that is out of the way I have one question to ask: Where did you learn the _Peonia Ballo_?"

"Hiiee!" Tsuna tripped forward and face planted before scrambling back up. "Wha-how... f-from my martial arts sensei. Karibachi Nobu. He's... a bit crazy and his training is kind of hellish, but he's helped me become skilled enough to protect my friends and family. At the moment he says he's off hiking around in Australia directing catfish traffic."

Without needing to see Reborn's face the disbelieving silence was enough to make Tsuna choke out a laugh. "With Iemitsu it's hanging out with the penguins, and at least with Nobu his stories are creative and I actually like him."

"For him to teach you the _Peonia Ballo_ this Nobu must have absolute trust you."

"I-I guess so... Said it's been in his family for centuries and I think it's a flexible, ever changing style since there are clear elements of Jeet Kune Do and other modern styles... I promised I'd only use it to protect though."

Reborn pinched the boy's cheek. "You were protecting a member of your _Famiglia_. Don't make me start calling you Baka-Tsuna, I'm trying an experimental teaching technique."

Tsuna blinked and tried to pick apart what Reborn meant, but without knowing exactly how Reborn would normally act this was an impossible task so he dropped the issue and simply asked if there was anything Reborn wanted him to pick up at the store after school. Stating that there was next to nowhere his student would go without him, Reborn said he would decide when they got there. For the next few minutes it was quiet between the pair as both pondered their strengths and weaknesses and resolved to go down this strange, new path without fear. Of course the Strongest Infant and Number One Hitman would have no fear, but doubts are different.

A footstep caught Tsuna's attention and he turned to see a cute girl staring at him, or more specifically, Reborn with sparkling eyes.

"May I help you?" Tsuna knew that if this was an anime he'd have a comical sweat drop over his head. "Are you lost?"

The girl jumped at being addressed and she scurried over, tripped, and then quickly righted herself. "My name is Miura Haru, desu! I think your little brother is cute, Stranger-san! May I hug him?"

"... I think it may be safer not to," Tsuna said with a nervous grin. "He doesn't like being touched by strangers, so..."

"Aw! But... he's so cute! Haru must hug him like this!" She gave herself a tight hug and giggled. Tsuna wondered where all the crazies came from, even the cute ones. Test tubes perhaps. "May I, baby?"

"No. I'm a tough mafia hitman, I cannot let little girls cuddle me."

Haru froze and stared at Reborn in horror and Tsuna felt a distinct foreboding. Not _bad_ per se, but he knew his life was destined to get just a bit more crazy, and on instinct he caught the delicate hand heading right for his head.

"Despicable! How could you corrupt such an innocent youth and poison his beautiful head?!"

Tsuna felt exasperated but did not show it. "Who says I'm the one who did it?"

"Hahi?" Tsuna blinked, finding that verbal tic slightly cute. "Who then, who poisoned such an angel, desu?"

Tsuna sighed, mind racing, and he recalled a novel he read a few months ago. "I have a cousin... his name is Katsu. He's big, blond, a bit dopey looking, and he's always going on about the dumbest things, and he put the whole mafia thing into Reborn's head."

"And you let him?" Haru tried hitting him with her other hand and he caught that in the same gentle vice grip too. "Despicable, desu!"

Tsuna withheld a long suffering sigh, imagined Hana tearing into this girl for jumping to conclusions, and continued. "I'm scrawny and I know when to fight my battles, Haru-san, and trying to physically attack me is the worst example you can set for the toddler watching us."

The girl squeaked and Tsuna let her escape back a few steps. "Haru never thought of that! I'm so, so sorry, Stranger-san! My dad keeps telling me I have to stop and think things through a bit more..."

Tsuna relaxed at her apology, he could tell it was sincere. "That's fine, as long as you try to consider things more. My name is Sawada Tsunayoshi, Haru-san, and I have to get going. I hope you have a good day."

The Decimo then took off at a dead sprint, not even twitching when Reborn perched on his shoulder easily mid-run, and met up with his friends (minus Ryohei who was running around the school for extra training). He kept up his fixed and bland smile as he ignored how a number of students were looking, pointing and whispering about him in a different way. He would rather they continue calling him No-Good instead of watching him with pity and trying to pry his story out with their laser eyes. Reborn, for his part, told himself not to regret what he did to cause this change in the student body because it was Iemitsu's fault for failing his kid and he took to a tree to watch over his student. That strange feeling in his gut was _not_ guilt, it was his non-caffeinated Expresso disagreeing with him. He would have to change coffee shops.

Both of Tsuna's Rain's stepped up to walk on either side, striking up a conversation on a dubbed American TV show, and quickly enough Kyoko had squeezed in between Takeshi to hold his and Tsuna's arms as she put her two cents in.

Before they all entered the school building Hana and Takeshi both stiffened and ceased moving, drawing Tsuna and Kyoko to a stop. The two Rain's were looking to the side and staring holes into someone and when he turned to see Tsuna was surprised. He hadn't even not even sensed Mochida approaching as he usually did, and that was something to worry about. The explanation for that, it seemed, was the kendo captain's attention being on Tsuna instead of the sweet Sun girl. Mochida's face had an odd expression and if Tsuna didn't know better he would have guessed it to be guilt and regret. The Decimo stepped away from his friends and went a few paces closer to the tall upperclassman, face cautious.

"What do you want, Mochida?"

"I..." The kendo user took a shaky breath as his face went red, then he bent low at the waist and remained that way. Tsuna's eyebrows shot skyward. "Tsuna-san, I want to apologize for the hassle I put you through while protecting Kyoko from my advances. I also apologize for taking advantage of your absurd patience with dealing with my pursuit of her..." Mochida was shaking a bit. "I... I'm sorry for the stupid fight we had in front of the school yesterday, it was meaningless and only... put you into an uncomfortable position."

The 50 or so students still in the school yard were whispering, pointing and taking video footage of the popular, obnoxious kendo captain apologizing publically to THE No-Good Tsuna.

Mochida stood and turned to Kyoko with a distinctly apologetic and very red face before bowing briefly. "I'm sorry to you as well, Kyoko-san, and I'm... I'm ashamed of how... forward and stupid I've been in continuously asking you out and badgering you. I'll stop doing that, I promise on my dream to win championships."

In the silence that followed Mochida kept his hands rigidly at his side and turned to Tsuna. The older boy's expression was another curiosity, he seemed worried and hopeful and appeared scared to say something more. Tsuna bit his cheek to keep his patience and his own sudden nerves in check and stepped a little closer as he told the kendo user to speak up. He obviously had more to say.

Mochida's face went a deeper red than before as he swallowed hard and quickly dropped into something just shy of a dogeza position. Tsuna's jaw dropped and he stumbled back into Takeshi's supporting arm.

"It's out of the blue, Tsuna-san, but I would like to be your underling!"

Tsuna's knees went a little weak and he was light headed at the absolute absurdity of this moment. He stared in a stupor until Hana went close to his ear and whispered, "I think he might mean friend when he says underling, lion-monkey, either that or he's just submitting to a greater power." Tsuna twitched and grimaced at this. "Didn't Reborn say something about your Sky being able to Harmonize with others? Maybe it's that Sky Magnetism."

Freak out internally, Tsuna swallowed hard and forced himself to ignore the whispering and jeering student body around them. He knelt and laid a hand on Mochida and smiled awkwardly when the older boy's head shot up. That face was too open, it would be easy to hurt the older boy, but Tsuna wasn't like that.

"Um... I don't need underlings like Hibari-sempai, but... um, we could be friends if you... if you want, I guess."

Mochida's face lit up in a smothered little smile and Tsuna gulped when there was something like a soft **click** where he strongly feels his Sky Flame in his chest. The kendo captain shot to his feet and bowed slightly before saying he would find him at lunch if he isn't training for the after school game, then he ran off. Tsuna felt a bit... discombobulated as this sudden Harmonizing opened his eyes to the other connections he felt close to his heart in a subtle way.

Lunch was a quiet affair as Ryohei was demolishing punching bags and Takeshi was off training for a volleyball game. Mochida appeared at lunch in Tsuna's classroom and talked with the boy for a few minutes with the Sky occasionally getting in a word or two. Now that the kendo user was not after Kyoko Hana was okay with his presence, especially since she derived amusement in watching Tsuna act confused and lost around the suddenly far more pleasant and reasonable upperclassman. Once he left Tsuna and his remaining friends headed to the roof and Reborn appeared dressed as some freaky looking caterpillar. Upon being asked the Arcobaleno explained that some personalities really affect a Harmony, and for Mochida it seems like he's treating Tsuna either like a brother or a good friend, which extended to the others as Mochida was thoughtful enough to ask them a question or two between his moderately cheerful talk with (mostly at) Tsuna. In a bout of paranoia Tsuna asked whether his Sky could somehow make someone fall in love with him.

Mercifully that will never be the case. Even with that assurance the young Sky felt that this Harmony-bond stuff will forever confuse him.

When classes ended Tsuna was dragged off to participate in the volleyball game with Takeshi and Mochida. As Kyoko had cheerfully dragged him off the Decimo gave the stink eye to a smirking Reborn. Normally Tsuna didn't try hard in sports games but he knew with Reborn in his life that would have to change, and fast if he wanted to have some relative peace. Upon glancing over his team mates he noticed that they all had a battered look about them, even Takeshi who had probably trained over lunch since he didn't show up. That settled it more than Reborn's looming presence and he threw away his reservations about abusing his Flames since it wasn't a game for prizes. By the end of the hour only Tsuna and Takeshi were mildly sweat free and still full of energy.

Takeshi won the game and Tsuna, as well as Mochida, was one of the loudest voices cheering for him. As people filed out, calling out congratulations on winning, Tsuna felt a tug on his Intuition and he looked up at a corner of the room.

There, for hardly a second, stood a shadowed figure that darted out of sight. Tsuna couldn't help shivering.

 **o o o**

That night Reborn stole Tsuna's bed and the boy opted to sleep in the living room where he snuggled Piero and thought hard on all this Mafia business.

By three in the morning Tsuna had decided that between the way his Intuition was dancing a fine line between Hot and Cold, and the feeling that avoiding the Mafia would be like avoiding a massive tsunami when it was ten feet away, the best thing he could do is study hard, train hard, and be the best that a No-Good kid like him could be. However much he feared for his own health and safety, he feared for his madre, Fuuta and his friends more. Him pestering Nobu to begin that hellish training he'd had nightmares about would be a good start because if there was one thing he could trust most in his life, it was that his friends would follow and watch his back no matter how much he hoped and begged for otherwise. They would willingly follow him into this dark and unknowable future.

Despite being a scrawny mouse still awaiting his growth spurt, for them he would do his best to topple mountains.

* * *

 **ON MOCHIDA: I felt like I should add this. It's also... sorta canon since he's in the Vongola in the canon-future. And I like how Mochida can be portrayed in fanfiction. SO... I'll see what I can do for his character. For the most part he's not going to be important right away, if at all. But Tsuna awoke his Sun and I couldn't just leave it at that, especially since Tsuna's Sky connected enough to cancel out the upperclassman's aura of Sun. ** Yes, Mochida's behavior is kind of like Gokudera's there, but I'm working on a bit of the Kendo user's history, and his boldness and being an 'alpha male' is partly because that's what got him attention and kept it (along with his kendo skills).**

 **ON FLAME TYPES NOT MATCHING: This is very alternate universe, so Flames won't always match up to widespread Headcanon and card games. Like Kyoko's Mist Flames for instance, that's from the card game and not confirmed by Amano. Even if it IS, I've already written it and Kyoko seems more like a spacey Sun to me anyway. PLUS, personality doesn't always guarantee a specific Flame. You'd think Squalo is a Storm, right? And Fon is more like Rain, being calm and tranquil.**

 **ON HARU: I... I feel like she's more of a sisterly-type character here. Please don't brain me with frozen carrots. She's not going to stay "useless", she'll get some skills.**

 **Please read and review. I managed to read over and fix some stuff up earlier today, but I'm worried about the Mochida thing. Actually the entire chapter worries me because it's never Perfect Quality so I rely on kind reviews pointing out flaws, but I'll take what I get. :) I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter and feel free to ask questions. You'll probably inspire me to come up with new ideas.**

 **EDITED: Thank you reviewers! It's nowhere near perfect but NOW hopefully I've nipped more mistakes and spruced this up.** **I'm going to say, and not as an excuse mind you, that part of the multitude of missing letters and typos is because I'm getting used to a different keyboard and computer that randomly likes changing where I type.**


	8. Chapter Eight

**THANK YOU to: general zargon, Sceonn, Guest, sympatheticassassin, XxShadowfangxX, CaiaNadiya, aperez09, Crystalstorm, Akayuki Novak, Arashi - IV of VI, Sir Butt, Kuroi Rin, Holymagic, and Natsu Yuuki.**

 **ALSO, thanks to others who put this on their favorite and watch lists.**

 **Guest: Reborn** _ **is**_ **trying a different tutoring tactic with Tsuna but that doesn't mean he's above messing with the boy or others. Case in point, he still tricks Gokudera and has fun watching Tsuna deal with the volatile bomber, and then finds further amusement when they start bonding as friends (in Tsuna's eyes at least).**

 **Sceonn: And for others concerned over the scars. The only ones that bother Tsuna are the ones from the alleyway. He doesn't want to "waste" money and he also doesn't want to bother Reborn to fix up scars he knows he ought to "get over" at some point. As he goes through Life-After-Reborn-Stirs-Everything-Up he'll find some different perspective and come to terms with what almost happened and be a whole lot less bothered by the scars. That AND the Sky Resonating as Sun bit will be something of a goal later, if only so he can deal with his scars on his own strength.**

 **** Reminder: Tsuna calls Nana madre because of his love of Italian.**

* * *

 _ **"Other things may change us, but we start and end with family." ~ Anthony Brandt.**_

* * *

The transfer student despised Tsuna's guts before he even set foot through the door, of that the young Sky was almost certain.

Handsome though that silverette was, he had the disposition of a snarling pit bull and Tsuna had held the boy's intimidating glare with a raised eyebrow and a tilt to his head, only half meaning the challenging posture. Gokudera stomped up to his desk and tried to kick it to the side but Tsuna, not minding cheating the little things, had anchored his desk to the ground with his hybrid Flame and all the jade-eyed boy got was a jolt of pain. He muttered in Italian, cursing and and saying he was way more worthy of being boss of the Vongola, and Tsuna resisted the desire to slam his head into his desk.

Of course, leave it to Reborn to summon such a Miss Congeniality to Namimori and all for him.

At lunch Tsuna and his friends headed to the roof to eat. Mochida followed up a few minutes later and made some conversation, this time mainly with Takeshi over kendo and strengthening techniques. Apparently the captain had noticed the swordman's habit of carrying a wooden bokken around instead of a baseball bat, but until then he felt understandably leery about talking to Takeshi, the boy who had, twice, dragged off the stubborn and slightly foolhardy male Sun when he got up in the young Sky's face. It took Tsuna half of lunch to notice it but Mochida was awkward with his friends, and it didn't seem like it was because they were't his to call friends yet. It looked as if the Kendo Captain really did want to befriend Tsuna's group, and heck, Mochida was even speaking extra politely to Hana and Kyoko and keeping a strict two feet of space between himself and the girls. This was perfectly acceptable to Hana, who still found it quite amusing that suddenly an irritant like Mochida was seeking to be closer to Tsuna and was much less irritating.

That Sky Magnetism must be killer. Tsuna and Hana were the only ones really thinking that it would likely bring trouble.

Once Mochida left to hang out with some kendo club members, Tsuna turned his attention to the abnormally big "squirrel" perched above the roof entrance. "Is there a reason you wanted to bring in an angry Italian after the Vongola boss seat?"

Reborn jumped and landed on Tsuna's shoulder. "Partly for my entertainment, mostly to bring in a subordinate well-versed in the ways of the Mafia. You're ignorant of that world, Tsuna, and Gokudera is a gold mine."

"Can he really defeat me and become the Decimo?"

Reborn pulled his ear and he squeaked in pain. "Baka-Tsuna, I said it yesterday. The Nono's sons, his heirs, are dead or out of commission. As for how you are a candidate..." The infant looked over Takeshi, Ryohei and then eyed Tsuna with disturbingly shrewd eyes. "You are directly descended from the first boss of the Vongola, the Primo."

Tsuna blinked and filed that away. "Okay... please tell me about my, uh, opponent?"

In the underworld the transfer student is known as the Hurricane Bomb or Smoking Bomb. Unless you're very stupid, Reborn said, it's easy to guess how the silver haired boy fights. Tsuna has more than enough physical power, speed and skill to beat Gokudera several times over and he is perfectly safe. Under Mafia Law the loser becomes the subordinate of the winner, which means the Decimo will have that snarling pit bull of a boy listening to him by the end of the day. Correctly guessing how Gokudera fights, Hana and Kyoko said it was too dangerous and only Reborn promising to keep Tsuna alive kept the three (and Ryohei, who Kyoko had secretly planned to drag along) from following their Sky after school.

Tsuna went to meet Gokudera only because he decided to hold true to the bit of faith he placed in his tutor. It just smarted a bit that he didn't have the time to get permission from Hibari to use the tonfa. He'd have to go up against bombs with no buffer! Was Reborn insane? Most likely.

" _Ciao_ , Gokudera-san," Tsuna said as pleasantly as he could. He met with the bomber behind the empty school gym. "Reborn told me to meet you after school."

The silverette pointed a cigarette at him. "Tch! You've got nothing that a strong leader needs, you flimsy looking fake. The Vongola will fall if you take over, so it's gotta be me."

Tsuna bit his cheek as he decided to ask a very relevant question. "Gokudera-san, are you related to the Nono in any way? Or the Primo?"

That gave the bomber pause and there was a thoughtful look on his face. "No, but... d-damn it, that's needed! I was played. The Vongola are a mafia of familial inheritance. You have to have the right direct relations to be eligible. A nobody like me can't even dream of it..."

Tsuna felt a harsh pinch of sympathy for the mafia boy and was distracted, barely having time to throw himself out of the way when a handful of small round bombs came flying at his head. Fortunately they exploded before hitting the ground so nothing was damaged yet. The pair of dynamite in Gokudera's hands is what made Tsuna's decision: _Better to bring Hibari's wrath directly upon me than to let the whole school be terrorized for the damage those explosions will cause._ He took out his tonfa and drew on his hybrid Flame, once again wreathing his body in arcs of amber. For the next minute Tsuna drew on his Intuition as best he could and supercharged his body, once more thankful that his Sky and Lightning combined. He struck out, movements blurred as he put out the burning fuses and tossing them to the side with a flick of his weapons.

Gokudera looked panicked and a dozen more bombs came flying at Tsuna. Most were put out with swipes of his tonfa and the other four were sent flying high in the air to explode with no damage dealt. Frustrated, Tsuna turned a frown on Gokudera and started advancing toward him, intent on ending the fight before the both of them had something blown off. This action resulted in the bomber completely panicking and he dropped what appeared to be two dozen lit dynamite. Tsuna's heart stuttered at the horrible image of a blown-to-bits Gokudera his mind supplied and his Sky flared, flooding the immediate area as he further supercharged himself with Sky-Lightning.

Fortified with his Flame, he moved in a blur and threw Gokudera into a bush well out of range. Experiments with his Lightning long before Reborn appeared, and accomplished for protecting Fuuta, gave birth to a fine net of amber electricity blanketing the small area of the fallen dynamite. Theoretically he knew it would at least contain the blast (though not save the Nami-chuu property beneath), but what Tsuna didn't expect was for the fuses to go out because of an inexplicable crystalline substance forming on the tips. Dazed and highly confused- _Why would fiery Sky cause this?_ -Tsuna picked up several dynamite and poked the crystal*. It felt solid and warm, though that was probably him reacting to his solidified Flames.

Gokudera scrambled out of the bush and gawked at the sight of his dynamite defused in a mystifying way. "I was mistaken!" The silverette said, voice a bellow. "No one else is fit to be the boss!"

"Gah!" Tsuna clapped a hand to his chest and turned. He went bug-eyed at the dogeza position Gokudera had. "Wha...?"

Gokudera's head lifted and Tsuna swore he saw stars in the boys green eyes. "Juudaime! For risking yourself for someone like me I place my life in your hands. I will follow you anywhere! Please, command me to do anything!"

Tsuna probably looked as gobsmacked as he felt and he could almost feel the amusement he just knew Reborn, wherever he hid, was getting at his expense. He took a deep breath and stood before putting away his tonfa in case Hibari came by and saw him using them without authorization.

"Gokudera-san..."

"Yes, Juudaime!"

Tsuna had been about to ask his... subordinate to call him by name and not treat him like a boss, but it didn't feel like the right time for it. He wasn't close to the transfer student, did not know him, and therefore felt like what he wanted didn't _really_ matter much to the other. He was maybe an idol for being the sole candidate for a damn Mafia syndicate and that's all he was to his subordinate right then, and until he felt real friendship from Gokudera the silverette would only be his (well-treated) underling and soon-to-be friend.

The Decimo smiled gently. "Come on, you should meet the rest of my _Famiglia_."

"Gladly!"

 **. . .**

Before any meeting between _Famiglia_ could occur there was a chore to complete.

Tsuna went to the supermarket first. For half an hour he made Gokudera walk beside him and repeatedly asked if he wanted this or that, and if the bomber looked at something for too long Tsuna put it in his basket. There was a lot of protests from the bomb user and he was quick to stop being obvious about what he found interesting. But Tsuna was not to be deterred and he used what his madre affectionately called his Kitten-Eyes and asked Gokudera what foods he liked. Reborn, sitting on his student's shoulder, snorted in amusement at how swiftly the bomber gave in to answering Tsuna's questions. Unfortunately at the cash register there was a 'slight' compication when Gokudera resorted to on-his-knees begging in order to be allowed the 'honor' of carrying the heavy bag of rice flour.

Reborn nearly chuckled at Tsuna's look of mortification.

The trio went to Nagakusa Park and sat on a bench beneath an old, healthy weeping willow. Gokudera looked happy to be with Tsuna and was eager to help him with anything, and the Decimo couldn't quite wrap his mind around it. Why would the bomber want to dedicate himself to anyone like that? He'd appeared very proud and strong in class, aside from his former snarling pitbull presence. Was it life in the mafia that cultivated this side of him?

Tsuna reached into his bags and pulled out two water bottles, neutral choices of drink, and handed Gokudera one. Immediately the bomber was grinning and happily thanking his boss for such kindness, and the gratitude only doubled when Tsuna offered him a choice between chocolate or chips. Intelligent is putting the transfer's brain-power lightly, so noticing that his boss had gone straight for the candy section of the store before anything else was a dead give-away and made his choice clear. He would never take candy from the boss.

"Let's get to know each other, Gokudera-san," Tsuna smiled at the bomber and pushed away his reservations. "We can play a round of Twenty Questions and we can both choose whether or not to answer."

To Tsuna's private horror Gokudera looked close to doing something drastic out of the bizarre adoration he felt.

"Um... y-you don't have to answer this, but I'm curious." Tsuna's sweet face was serious as he looked the bomber in the eye. "I would never force anyone to work under me, it's all their choice and I would defend your decision if you chose to go back to Italy instead of remaining here. So... why?"

Gokudera's expression lost the happy puppy-quality as he stood to move in front of him. There the taller boy settled down on one knee with his head bowed.

"The mafia is filled with corruption and darkness, Juudaime. Bosses with real heart like you are rare. I've worked freelance for two years and none have ever shown any consideration for even their real subordinates, much less a mutt like me. I've only seen the worst of humanity, and compared to that... to me you shine like the sun. My perception of you might be colored by that time of my life, but I know... I know you're special. You've already done more for me than anyone else in the world. This is why I could never work under anyone else, it's why I would never want to."

Tsuna looked helpless as he watched Gokudera kneel in front of like a knight in front of his king. He looked at Reborn and only saw more amusement (and perhaps something else) at his expense and decided to do things his way. He slid off the bench and tentatively touched the bomber's shoulder. The wide-eyed, hopeful face that looked at him tugged more than a few of Tsuna's heart strings and he smiled the same sort of light-the-day expression he had for his _Famiglia._ Gokudera turning several shades of red was privately puzzled over by his boss.

(Not all Harmonizing is obvious to a Sky. To most it happens subconsciously, and to Tsuna, in this instance, the soft **click** of a connection between Gokudera's Storm and his Sky was more like a subtle touch of warmth in his chest, barely noticeable amidst the heat of his unsealed Flames.)

"If anything being in my _Famiglia_ will be good for you, Gokudera-san! We all care for and look after each other like... a real family." Tsuna's smile took on an apologetic, but still warm, edge. "You're new and it will take time, but I'm confident you'll do fine as long as you listen and, well, try not to start too many fights with my friends." _Otherwise I'll have to get bitten to death in your stead, as you don't have enough conditioning to survive a fight against Hibari the demi-human, at least not without a trip to the hospital like me..._

"Juudaime, I would never think of disobeying you!"

Tsuna briefly entertained a silly thought, but that would be mean and taking advantage. Instead of asking Gokudera to do the Chicken Dance Tsuna pulled out his phone and sent out a text to everyone asking them to meet at his place if they can. For Hibari Tsuna felt it prudent to mention that he has found another 'pack' member and that he'll do his best to keep Gokudera out of trouble. Hibari rarely answered texts and Tsuna had yet to actually call him up more than once and it didn't really count since that had been Fuuta...

Ah, it was Tuesday. The questions could wait.

Tsuna chuckled to himself and wondered if his madre had gotten Hibari inside to eat with Fuuta while the rest of the _Famiglia_ gave the prefect his space. From what Tsuna really knew about his sparring-partner, tolerance of people in general is rare. The fact that Hibari didn't seem to mind Fuuta's well behaved and polite presence was one of the things Tsuna was most fond of in the violent prefect. It probably helped that his _bambino_ was quite good with reading the atmosphere and not talking when it was a bad idea, and always ushered Ryohei into another room whenever possible.

"Juudaime?"

"What are you laughing about? You sound stupid," said Reborn, digging his shoe into his student's scalp.

"Hibari might be with madre and Fuuta."

"Why?" Reborn tugged on a lock of Tsuna's hair to get him talking faster.

"I've known Hibari since I was ten. He helped me and he sort of... took to my madre and myself for some reason." Tsuna smiled and clearly looked amused. "I think it might be that he likes my madre because she can be scary."

"Mamma, scary?" Reborn snorted. "I'll have to see it to believe it."

A ten minute walk later that is exactly what happened. Tsuna felt his stomach churn and his heart burn cold and he took off at a dead sprint without a word, leaving Gokudera to panic and chase after his boss with dynamite in hand. Right as they came up to the clean, undamaged looking house there was a gunshot, a shrill scream and a swell of power that rippled out much like Tsuna's except it was clearly Mist Flames. Reborn cocked his Leon-gun and Tsuna slammed the door open with tonfa in hand.

There were a lot of bodies laying around. That is the first thing both Reborn and Gokudera noticed as they stepped in the door. Men were sprawled in such a way it was clear that they had dropped like marionettes with their string cut, and the six visible in the front hall were frothing at the mouth. Tsuna stomped over the bodies, barely paying attention when his feet crunched over hands and arms, and as he entered the living room with Reborn and Gokudera at his side he dropped his tonfa and rushed forward. His madre was sitting there and cradling an unconscious Fuuta close. A bullet wound in the little boy's shoulder stained part of the carpet red and Nana was sobbing. Beside her, fur ruffled and a weeping wound in her leg, Piero was purring loudly and rubbing against his mother.

Tsuna was numb and his face was blank as he called Hibari and informed him, voice dead and flat, that there had been another attack in his home. He clicked off as soon as he had finished talking and he knelt by his mother and son, holding them close. Sky-Lightning flickered over his body, washing harmlessly over his two most precious _Famiglia_ members as his eyes flooded with tears. His self-control held enough for him to resist sobbing.

Reborn moved to his students side and crawled into the Decimo's lap to get at Fuuta. There he laid his hand on the wound and a sparkling flicker of Sun appeared. As soon as the bullet was drawn out by regenerating flesh Fuuta swiftly gained color and there was no scar remaining. Tsuna hiccupped as he thanked Reborn and held his slowly calming mother closer. Reborn healed Piero and then stepped back to take in the situation with Sherlock-like clarity. Fuuta was the target, meant to be taken alive. Nana was extra, disposable. One of the men must have lasted long enough to try and shoot her, and Fuuta, horrified by Piero having been shot, was foolish and brave in that instance and tackled the woman out of range, taking a bullet in the process. Pain knocked him out.

Gokudera felt cold and angry as he watched this transpire. His precious Juudaime's family had been attacked, their youngest shot, and it made his strong boss _cry_. There would be hell to pay. Gokudera wasn't aware that Reborn was watching as he took a cursory glance around the room and pinpointed the leader of this soon-to-be dead group slumped off to the side. The bomber went into his bag and pulled out rope and metal wire, always useful to have on hand for any reason, and began tying the eighteen unconscious men tight before he dragged the leader to Reborn with a serious face.

"If you'll allow it I will get every scrap of information this bastard has, then the Vongola can deal with them their way."

"You'll need an interrogation space. Use the spare room in the basement, it's been recently cleaned out."

"Thank you, Reborn-san."

As Gokudera dragged the body downstairs Reborn turned his attention to Tsuna. The boy was clawing back to a state of calm as he held his mother and whispered assurances to her while she hugged Fuuta in her lap. He stood and left for the kitchen, returned with a cold bottle of milk tea, and encouraged his mother to sit on the couch with Reborn while he took Fuuta upstairs to clean him up and make sure he was comfortable in bed. Reborn obliged and allowed the woman to hold him in her lap as he told her of the arrangements he planned to make in order to ensure this never happens again. Sitting in a room full of the men who had attacked did not seem to phase her much, she was more stressed about the event and she even leveled a glare on them.

"I don't regret taking in Fuuta-kun, Reborn-kun. I could never do that, but... I regret not being able to protect my boy's son..."

Reborn looked up at the woman and then took hold of her hand. "Sawada Nana, the power you hold is truly amazing. You simply need to learn control in order to consistently draw it out. After that the chances of this happening again are few."

She nodded and rubbed at her tear stained face. "Tsu-kun has talked me through what it feels like to be connected to the energy. He says his is prickly and warm, and mine feels cool and comforting..."

"The energy you have, mamma, is called the Mist Flame and it can fabricate feelings and emotions and create illusions. When you can use it without fail you can begin creating powerful illusions. How consistently do you feel it?"

"More and more lately, Reborn-kun." Nana smiled, looking a little more like the woman he'd met yesterday. "Usually I connect with with my... my Mist in the morning before making breakfast with Fuuta-kun... Today I forgot..."

Reborn watched as she shrunk in on herself and casually tugged a pillow out from underneath a mafioso and hugged it. She looked so fragile and it was a jarring contrast with the Mist Flame she held inside. Tsuna truly did take after Nana in Reborn's opinion, he merely got the Sky and raw talent from his moronic father.

"Mamma, you will get better. One day soon you won't have to concentrate to connect with it, you'll be in perfect sync and your Mist ready to use at a moments notice."

Nana sniffled and looked at Reborn with a grateful smile. "I believe you, Reborn-kun. I know my Tsu-kun doesn't need me to protect him, not anymore... but he can't be everywhere with Fuuta-kun. I _will_ become more for my family, anything less isn't good enough!"

Reborn nodded, allowing a smile to soften and light up his baby-face. "I have no doubt, mamma. You make your son proud, I hope you know."

Nana twitched and stared with hopeful look that much resembled Tsuna's earlier this day. Reborn was tensed, ready for water-works, but when a brilliant smile of pure happiness lit her face the hitman relaxed.

"You really think so, Reborn-kun? Tsu-kun... he doesn't like his papa at all." Her smile dimmed ever so slightly, but the joy was still slightly blinding. "He doesn't care about Iemitsu's opinion, and... I've wondered if I disappoint him as much as his papa. This makes me so happy, thank you."

Reborn patted her hand and hopped onto the head of the mafioso slumped over the back of the couch. "Will you be fine here, mamma? I need to go make a few phone calls."

Nana held up one finger, headed to the kitchen, and quickly returned with a marble rolling pin. Reborn smirked and told her he'd be back in a few minutes.

 **. . .**

Tsuna woke Fuuta up long enough to wash off the blood and help him get dressed in comfortable sleep clothes before carrying his son to his own room, certain that all of Reborn's traps could keep him safe. Tsuna kissed Fuuta's forehead and left the room, body tense and face hard as he descended the stairs with soundless footsteps.

Right as he stepped into the main hall the front door opened and Hibari entered with a sharp look on his face. He immediately spotted the blood on Tsuna's white sleeve and the distinctly carnivorous look in his glowing amber eyes. Hibari directed his men to take the tied up mafioso and dump them in the usual place, it being the old Namimori Police Station where Hibari had no problem investigating them himself before dumping their living remains in real Police holding cells during the night.

Tsuna was following his Intuition again and on the way to the basement he stopped to look at his mother pacing the living room with her rolling pin with a calm little smile on her face. She recovered fast and part of him was sad that it was something she was used to. Hibari was following Tsuna with an interested look in his eyes and he also took a second to check on the Mazakuma as he passed the room. As the basement stairs were made of cement it was easy walking down soundlessly. He immediately noticed whimpers of pain and stuttered refusals to answer anything and when Tsuna stepped through the slightly opened door he took in the sight of Gokudera threatening to stuff a lit cherry bomb up the mans ass.

Several burns and could be seen on the half-naked man's torso and he was secured to a chair with metal wire that cut into his flesh deep enough to bleed.

"Who sent you here? If you really like pain I'll start with your toes and work my way up to breaking your face."

"Gokudera."

The bomber twitched and turned before bowing to Tsuna. "Juudaime, I'm sorry. This isn't something you should dirty your hands with. Please, allow me."

Tsuna shivered as he realized this was a small part of what Gokudera's freelance work must have involved. That the boy was willing to continue staining his hands with blood for No-Good Tsuna's peace of mind filled the Sky with a growing hatred for the world Timoteo was forcing on him. He could not let this continue. He would not.

"No," Tsuna said, voice soft as a whisper and as dangerous as any pit viper. "You say I'm your boss, the one you'll follow and obey, then as boss I refuse to let you do this. You are a part of my _Famiglia_ , and mine to protect. This is my duty... Please stand aside Gokudera."

The silverette looked ready to protest for several seconds, then he shuddered and left to stand several feet away from Hibari. Tsuna nodded his thanks and approached the angry and pained looking mafioso with a cold fire look of rage on his young face. He stopped directly in front of the man and tapped into the deep well of his hybrid Sky and covered his body in a violently flickering aura of Flame in a manner similar to Mochida's, only Tsuna gained a flame on his forehead. With the swell of soft Flame smothering the little room rode his barely contained rage and the desire to rip the bound man shreds. Behind him Hibari smirked with a delighted glint in his eyes, and Gokudera staggered to the side to slump against a wall with shaking legs.

Just like earlier, when the Decimo saved Gokudera's life, there was that rich warmth and with it this time was the peculiar sight of amber lightning. The warm presence was so much heavier this time and it left a bitter, coppery taste on the bomber's tongue even as he still felt drawn to the shorter boy, though in what way he was reluctant to think about.

Tsuna leaned down and the man turned his head to look at a cobweb filled corner. Terrified puts what the man felt in small terms because he was close to fainting and there was a nasty smell in the air. Tsuna gripped the man's chin and jerked his head for a face-to-face stare down. The man choked and whimpered and there was not an ounce of guilt in Tsuna's heart. He was doing this to make sure Fuuta would have one less group after him.

"Who. Sent. You?" Tsuna said, voice soft and as threatening as a full grown grizzly.

The man's eyes rolled back and he fainted.

"Shit," Tsuna muttered, stepping back. "At least he'll... probably talk when he wakes up."

A weight landed on his shoulder and Reborn pinched his cheek. "Tsuna, you can stop this. I know who sent these guys. The small three leaf clover tattooed on their palms mean they belong to a group set in the UK."

Breathing deep, Tsuna let go of his rage and pulled back his Flame. Knowing the problem is likely already solved helped that process and Tsuna turned away, eyes dazed and unfocused. He took a step to leave and found himself wobbling dangerously as a a tsunami of pain crashed through him. Only Gokudera lunging forward to catch him kept Tsuna from face-planting.

"Juudaime!" The bomber kept his arm secured around his boss's thin torso. "You're okay, right? Talk to me!"

"Relax, Gokudera. What Tsuna has entered two times so far is a state called Hyper Dying Will Mode. It puts immense strain on the user, but I suppose having suffered quite a bit of pain could lessen the effect of the bodily stress and explain his remaining conscious right now." Reborn landed on the bomber's shoulder. "Him entering it without use of a bullet or pill means he is in double the pain."

"Goku...d-dera... 'M fine, jus'... need t' sleep..." Tsuna was limp and hiding his face against his soon-to-be-friend's chest because of that blinding overhead light. "Too... bright..."

Hibari narrowed his eyes on the small carnivore being propped up by the greenhorn of Tsuna's pack and decided he coul not yet be trusted with the Mazakuma's son. He stepped forward and, without a word, took Tsuna into his arms bridal style and ascended the stairs, leaving Gokudera cursing and following after him. Hibari entered the living room and cleared his throat to let Mazakuma know he was there. Nana turned and smiled sweetly at Hibari before noticing her son's limp form and she hurried over to check on him.

"Tsu-kun has a little fever... please lay him on the couch, Hibari-kun. He just needs to rest a bit. I'll have the Gyūdon finished and packed in a container for you soon."

As Hibari nodded and placed the little carnivore down in a fairly comfortable position, he sensed the approach of the greenhorn.

"You! Punk! Why did you take the Juudaime away from me?!"

Hibari looked at Gokudera for a moment and plainly ignored him as he settled into what had become his plush chair. It was in a corner of the room where he could survey the entire space and was away from the couch and where the zabutons (seating cushions) are placed around the low table. Piero leaped into his lap and relaxed under the Cloud's gentle attention. Gokudera had taken several angry steps toward the prefect when a delicate and calloused hand grabbed his wrist. He jumped slightly and looked down to see Tsuna looking at him with eyes he could barely keep open.

"Don't fight... him..."

Gokudera swallowed hard and nodded. Tsuna managed a smile before his hand fell and his new subordinate gently placed it on his boss's stomach. He'd been given an order and he'll stick with it- Hibari had a smirk when he stupidly glanced over- even if all he wanted to do was shove a dynamite down the bastards throat.

 **. . .**

Hana, Kyoko, Ryohei and Takeshi had stayed at school longer than necessary helping clean up the school cafeteria* after some foolish monkey's started a food fight at lunch, one that escalated to ridiculous levels. For some reason Hibari thought it was right to always stick work on _them_ , and it was rather bothersome. Did it have something to do with their being a part of Tsuna's 'pack'? Hibari hadn't (ordered) Tsuna to stay behind to fix damages and whatnot, so it was probably some bizarre idea he had about animal hierarchy's that should have nothing to do with people. Tsuna could fight, defend, and protect better than most police officers, of that Hana was utterly certain, but still...

Damn gorilla instincts. Hibari needed a new brain.

"Hana-chan, I wonder if Gokudera-san is being good to Tsuna-kun."

"Maa, don't worry, Kyoko!" Takeshi gently patted her head with a sweet grin. Hana wasn't fooled by it and smirked at his next words. "If he's hurt Tsuna we'll just have to teach him that it's a really bad idea~!"

"EXTREME! I won't mind if we have to teach this kid some respect for my Otōto!"

The group of four came to a stop at the sight of a familiar grey van marked with the Hibari family crest (a skylark mid flight with a magnolia blossom in its talons). That always meant Fuuta Hunting trouble. The group hurried inside and were met by Nana* who just stepped off the stairs with Tsuna's favorite velour lion blanket in her arms. She smiled at the sight of them and waved them toward the living room.

"Tsu-kun's asleep. Reborn-kun told me he tuckered himself out talking to the leader. If one of you could tend to him...?"

Kyoko stepped forward and gently took the blanket. "Hana-chan will take care of him, mamma. Would you like some help in the kitchen?"

"Oh, I would love some, Kyoko-chan!"

Hana took the blanket from her friend and, with more levity than she felt, playfully bumped the sweet girl toward Nana with her hip. Kyoko giggled softly and followed the Sawada matriarch, leaving Hana to lead the boys. Her attention immediately settled on the silverette that had tried to intimidate Tsuna that morning and she felt both confused and amused by the about-face because that oddball was watching Tsuna sleep with sincere concern. Hana's eyes moved to Hibari and the boy was in his Observe-The-Herbivores chair with Piero, and he was once more watching Tsuna with interest and a smirk tugging at his lips.

The gorilla will forever confuse Hana.

She sighed and walked over, ignoring the weird transfer as he warned her not to hurt Tsuna otherwise he'd blow her up. With a deft flick of her hands she had the soft blanket covering Tsuna and she tucked the blanket close to his flushed face. One touch of her hand informed her that Tsuna had a fever hot to the touch.

"Takeshi, get a cold cloth. Ryo-monkey, get over here and give him some rays."

Ryohei saluted while covering his mouth with his own hand to keep relatively quiet. Reborn kicked Gokudera back into his seat when he tried to interfere, and the bomber watched in anxious awe as Ryohei used this golden yellow light to ease away the Juudaime's fever and his mildly labored breathing. Takeshi returned only a second after Ryohei dropped his use of Sun Flames and brushed aside Tsuna's hair to place the icy cold hand towel down. With Tsuna tended to Hana turned to Gokudera in her patented 'You're a stupid monkey, better listen to me now' stance of folded arms and unflappable expression.

"You fought Tsuna. The lion-monkey defeated you, and now you're his underling. Is that it?"

All the things she did not verbalize came out in her sharp tone and how she placed herself between Tsuna and the transfer. _If your loyalty is based on nothing but circumstances then how can we trust you with him? Talk or deal with being kicked out._ As Gokudera's thoughts raced Reborn was sitting pretty on the arm rest with a cup of expresso. Oh yes, Tsuna's _Famiglia_ has commendable strength in different forms.

Gokudera took Hana's measure and his keen mind observed the dynamic she obviously represented in his boss's _Famiglia_. She seemed to be something like his Right Hand, the one he trusts to get things done. She was defending him from a perceived threat, her eyes dissecting him where he sat, and he knew she was the one to convince. It would have to be the truth, he couldn't risk having the Juudaime misjudge him because he could not trust someone his boss held in high esteem. With a fortifying breath Gokudera gritted his teeth and stood to bow. When he straightened up he had a look of calm acceptance. He hoped it was clear that he wasn't challenging her.

"All I've ever known is a world full of greed and death and deception. I've never met anyone like the Juudaime. He saved me from my own bombs and then accepted me into his _Famiglia_ without protest, and no one has ever given me a chance to prove myself. I worked as a freelance mafioso, taking a lot of jobs that... weren't pleasant." Gokudera paused and seemed to gather some fortitude with a glance at Tsuna. "But he actually tried to get to know me. He shared food with me. Showed more care toward a lowly, new subordinate when few fully-fledged bosses give a shit about their loyal underlings. He's... more than I hoped for when I came to Japan."

Hana eyed Gokudera for a tense few moments before she smirked. "Tsuna-monkey is the one you never knew you needed, huh?"

"Yeah. There isn't much I wouldn't do for him."

"Good. As long as you aren't too loud you and I will get along just fine."

Hibari left shortly after that with a tub of Gyūdon clutched in the arms of a Disciplinary Committtee member. Kusakabe was dealing with the mafioso his committee had taken.

* * *

 **OMAKE,**

 _ **Basil [and a bit of the CEDEF]**_

Iemitsu had been Basil's idol, his goal and ideal of what a being a great man meant.

Two years ago Basil was found and taken in by Iemitsu (and, in small part, Lal). The thirteen year old was known as a "boss" in his dangerous neck of an Italian city. He was strong, had a natural ability to draw on his Rain Flames to weaken and slow down his opponents, and he was a great protector who strove to make his little territory as safe as possible for the unfortunate families he shared the area with. Life was hard and the poor were easily lost when cold weather set in, which instilled Basil with a belief that family, blood and not, was everything. The one church there, a large and well constructed building forgotten by the world, was often the place many from more than one neighborhood gathered to share warmth and food on the worst of winter days.

His orphanage was dilapidated, parts of the building breaking down, and he had begun entering into underground fights to make money for his little family and extra, if possible, to spread around. Those fights were often watched by the mafia looking for 'fresh' blood to add to their ranks, and Basil refused all their offers until one persistent pair.

A toddler sized woman and a towering blond mountain of a man came to one of his fights. Basil had been leery over the man, at first not trusting his presence, but the child-woman named Lal Mirch promised Basil that their organization would fund this part of the city and make life better for his friends and family. They returned six more times before he decided to trust them and in two months time their word became reality and the orphanage, along with many other buildings, got the needed funding for repair and food, so Basil decided the least he could do was pledge his loyalty to Iemitsu and his family, whoever they may be. He had made a similar pledge to Lal, but she waved it off as unwanted. Iemitsu took the pledge enthusiastically and treated Basil like a son and less like an apprentice.

Only recently did Basil find the courage to ask Iemitsu about his family. The man had become quiet and nervous before pulling on his goofy, happy mask. The CEDEF boss bluntly admitted that he left them when his son was five and was only returning in two weeks time in order to test his son before the boy was to be declared the Decimo in a roughly another year or more. Basil was surprised by this, and it was certainly not a good surprise. Family sticks together through anything, you don't up and leave for _eight_ years and return because of business. That... no, Basil had been comfortable with his life, liked thinking that Iemitsu was a good man. He didn't want to dislike the only person who had ever been something close to a proper father figure. A father figure who loved to drink and regularly encouraged Basil to do the same, one who gambled and enlisted his apprentice's help in covering the small but easily accumulated debts...

It was a painful eye-opener.

Basil threw himself into training under Lal Mirch, distancing himself from his boss in a bid to deal with the fact that Iemitsu was not the man he had believed him to be. It wouldn't have been so bad if it were not the fact that Iemitsu had pretty much abandoned those he left in Japan. The CEDEF boss seemed to accept this change, didn't try too hard to persuade Basil that he was the same awesome man as before, and Basil, a day before Iemitsu left, made an appearance and politely told his boss good luck in testing his son. The usual affection in his voice was subdued, hesitant, and he wasn't sure how to act around the man who he felt did not deserve the respect and admiration from before.

Just about the only thing Basil really liked about the mafia world was how there was a great emphasis on family and loyalty, two parts of life he felt helped the world to function. In Basil's eyes the CEDEF boss had not honored the concept of family so valued in many Italian mafia's.

When Iemitsu returned, still with that cheerful and goofy mask, he had a small CD that contained footage that he allowed only a select group in the CEDEF to watch, among them being Basil and several trusted members having returned from testing Tsuna. The Nono had his own copy to watch with his own Guardians. Iemitsu had insisted that his apprentice watch because it would give him insight on the future boss of the Vongola.

While those who experienced fighting Tsuna grumbled about his copious and brutal use of Lightning to lock up the muscles of their legs and arms, Basil sat forward and focused all his attention on the big screen of the rec room Iemitsu commandeered. The footage started with a shaky view of a peaceful street and more. Iemitsu's video for the first half was a from a button-camer on his overalls, which he made use of by walking backwards in front of his son, a slender boy who looked as threatening as a mildly sullen fluffy kitten a in large sweater. A big odd-eyed silvery cat was perched on the boy's shoulders and eyed Iemitsu with remarkably dangerous eyes for an animal.

For ten minutes Iemitsu chattered at Tsuna about nothing important and frequently interjected his own talk with questions about his son's life and Tsuna eventually relented with a slightly spiteful glitter in his light amber eyes. The boy told Iemitsu about the 100-plus bones he had gained since he was five. How he had been miserably lonely before making beloved friends. Having said he was still pushed around and bullied when not backed by a friend, Tsuna emphasized that he was happy.

Happy because he had his friends, mother, and the cat on his shoulder, all of whom made up his entire world. It wasn't said in so many words, but Basil could tell how Tsuna considered the people he held in high regard and affection to be his treasures. Had he heard this before realizing his boss's follies, Basil would have taken offense at the man not being on the son's list of Precious-People-Plus-Cat. Now though, hearing the warm tone of absolute loyalty in the boy's voice, this allowed something in the CEDEF boss-apprentice to relax. He had built up Iemitsu on a pedestal in his mind, but this was proof that at least the man's son appeared to have a good head on his shoulders.

Footage of that cut out and what came on next was obscured slightly by the lush and slightly yellowed leaves of a tree. It showed Tsuna and two boys sneaking through the underbrush and toward the derelict house used as the site of the test. Tsuna showed leadership and bonds with at least the white haired boy by persuading him to remain very quiet. They entered the house through a broken back door and creeped through the building, climbed the stairs, and then Tsuna left the boy with boxing gloves to hide in the hall closet with instructions to come fight should he hear a certain letter yelled, which was ironically X.

More footage from the hall outside of the room holding the hostages and the visible members of the CEDEF showed Tsuna peek into the room and grow enraged by what he saw. He was wreathed in glittering and wildly dancing Lightning Flames. The camera angle changed to one inside the room as Tsuna and the older looking male, one Hibari Kyoya according to Iemitsu, both rushed inside with weapons at the ready. They moved so fast they were blurred on the video as they sent several men crashing away.

 _"You made a grave mistake going after my friends."_ Basil felt himself shiver a bit at the dangerous tone and what was more, he felt further respect and admiration well up in him.

Tsuna rolled his shoulders as the CEDEF members in disguise pretended to be shocked silly by his entrance, which only a few faked. The others were twitching from the Lightning Flames playing havoc on their muscles. The boy swiftly called his summons to the boxer and seconds later he appeared, bursting through the door with a roar of determination as Hibari then left Tsuna's side to attack the "thugs" with two metal tonfa using skill that was not normal in civilians.

 _"Don't listen to what they say, Ryo-Aniki. Hit them knowing they hurt our friends."_

The footage, taken from behind and having HD quality, allowed Basil to clearly see the three tied up teens at the other end of the medium sized room. The male had a bruised face and a bloodied nose. Basil felt his stomach churn and rebel and he couldn't understand how it helped anything to alienate the future boss by hurting his friends. Even after two years Basil was still baffled by how brutal the mafia world was. He would never like it, but being a part of an intelligence organization was fascinating sometimes. Also, he usually watched movies before they came out, and this is on top of his old neighborhood and the surrounding area being supported.

It was nearly a thing of art, the fight that is. Tsuna never ceased moving even as he manoeuvered himself between his friends and the flow of incoming "thugs". Basil was sure that if the young Sawada had been any slower he would have gladly taken hits for his three friends, but that wasn't the case. The future Decimo's movements were smooth and flowed into one another, not one change in stance or strike was wasted.

By the end of it Basil was a bit lightheaded and he was embarrassed to realize he had barely breathed throughout the fight. Tsuna had held all of his attention. When it ended and the "unconscious" CEDEF members were tied up, or bound with the liberal use of duct tape when rope ran out, Tsuna quickly, and tenderly, treated the minor wounds his three friends suffered.

Iemitsu rewound and paused on a clip showing Tsuna's fierce expression after he slammed a pipe into a particularly large member of the CEDEF and the clip was paused on the man as he was two feet above the ground by the force of the hit. He had a proud, if slightly somber, look on his face.

Lal Mirch was the first to speak a brief and contemplative silence. "I really don't see how you two are related."

Iemitsu flashed a grin. "It's just the Lightning. You'll see when he gets his Sky Flames back."

Basil spoke up too, though he was quiet. "I second what Lal said. Tsuna seems... amazing, and certainly has a strong heart."

Iemitsu was silent for a moment before grinning. "Oh, he definitely has that in spades. It's just a question of whether he has the strength of will to survive the minefield making up his future underworld kingdom."

Basil stood and left. There was something weighing on his mind and though he could not put the feeling into words it made staying in Iemitsu's presence unpleasant. One thing was for sure. If Tsuna was anything like Basil himself, and he had the power that comes with being the boss of the Vongola, then either he will change the underworld or he'll destroy it.

The apprentice boss of the CEDEF hoped for something in between.

* * *

 **IMPORTANT : I feel like there isn't enough time in the world for me to find a Beta to look over my writing and correct things and metaphorically slap me in the head when I write something too incredibly stupid. BUT... if anyone knows an available Beta, or would like to take a crack at it, I would be happy to have an extra pair of eyes. Chapter seven was an embarrassment and I don't like that twisty little feeling.**

 **** Sky Petrification: Freezing the bombs, which is irreversible at this point for Tsuna, is what plants the seed of the Zero Point Break Through for him. So yep, Reborn's having fun at Tsuna's expense does serve a purpose.**

 **** I know few Japanese schools have cafeteria's but Namimori-Chuu does. Not a big one, as said in the story, but still there because I said so.**

 **** BASIL: His speech and thinking is in Italian, there's no old style talking for him. I had fun writing the Omake for him. He's a total cutie. I know, some of you might not like it, and that you may think of it as a generic past, but I wanted to make Family and loyalty a big thing for him. Part of taking off the Rose-Colored glasses bit.**

 **As for reviews, I once more ask for anyone noticing mistakes to please point them out (while also, if applicable, hopefully taking the time to think of something they liked about the chapter).**

 **TO THOSE WHO OFFERED ME CRITIQUE in the last chapter: Thank you very much. :) I felt like a loser, yep, but I needed it! It let me fix up the chapter a bit.**


	9. Chapter Nine

**THANK YOU TO: Akayuki Novak, Slightly Wicked, Guest 1, general zargon, Arashi - IVof VI, Guest 2, CaiaNadiya, LirialRaito, MissSexyRain (x2), Kuroi Rin, and XxShadowfangxX. Oh, and Phoenix Lumen too, forgot that last time. :)**

 **Guest 1: Hm... definitely not, I don't feel like God-Moding my fanged forest critter, but that doesn't mean a certain Vindice can't read his power level and potential, right? It also doesn't mean he can't sense the Vindice to a degree. PS, thanks for the review. :)**

 **general zargon: Mukuro WILL end up in the story, definitely, but things won't go the same as canon. :)**

 **Arashi - IV of VI: Unlike with the Nono and his father, Tsuna won't feel at odds with Xanxus's Sky. At odds with** _ **him**_ **maybe, but their Flames won't drive them to legitimately trying to kill and hate each other, which is something unique to Skies and is called [Sky] Dissonance.**

 **Guest 2: Thanks for the review! Mama Bears are fun to write. :3**

 **REVIEWERS : I'm sorry for not getting to you yet, but I'll upload and send answer! Computer troubles suck such... yeah. Ahem.**

 **WARNING** **: Some of this may be filler-y, but we're still in the Daily Life Arc and will be for some time, BUT** **at least there will be some cute moments, character growth, and whatnot right? *ducks flying frozen carrots***

 **x X x**

 _ **"So much of what is best in us is bound up in our love of family, that it remains the measure of our stability because it measures our sense of loyalty." ~ Haniel Long**_

 **x X x**

The week that followed was somewhat chaotic. Reborn had done away with Nobu's alarm, filled in the resulting hole, and took to waking Tsuna up should his internal clock not awaken him early enough. The Decimo had gotten zapped (which actually didn't hurt a whole lot), ice shoved down his pants, and had hot sauce poured down his throat. All of _that_ was possible with no interference from Piero because the cat had taken a bizarre liking to Reborn, even going so far as to allow him to take rides on her back. It was both a worrying and amusing sight, which caused the short teen to worry about his own mental health.

Also, if the wake-up-by-torture game was the not-infant trying an experimental new training method Tsuna thanked the Kami that he wasn't getting the usual from Chaos Theory Reborn.

His week, after a Sunday where Hana and Kyoko had basically tied him to his own bed to keep him from straining himself, started with Nezu the Jackass tearing into him for a pitiful test. He had a high of 30 and this was a travesty in the eyes of an 'elitest' like the rat-bag. Gokudera came in late, joyfully greeted Tsuna, and ended up assaulting Nezu when the man insulted Tsuna. This resulted in the two of them getting into deep trouble and they were given the task of finding a time capsule. Reborn threatened Tsuna into going all out to find one with dousing-rod-Leon and reluctantly smashed open the space behind the main gym. Finding the wrong time capsule ended, wonderfully, with Nezu being outed as a total fraud. The cosmic payment for that was Tsuna turning black and blue from a fight with an angry prefect. The Decimo gently ordered the bomber to go wait for him at his house, then the young reluctant boss then did his best to help the Disciplinary Committee fix up the damage as it was the least he owed to Hibari.

The week continued with an early spar against Ryohei. Even Mochida, sporting a new and unsharpened practice sword, asked for a friendly rematch to hone his skills and Tsuna agreed because it would, and did, help him grow more comfortable around the upperclassman. The big spar with Hibari was the only part of the week that was extremely memorable because the finish was a surprise. The tonfa to Tsuna's throat wasn't the surprise, however, it was that the prefect demanded to know exactly how Tsuna activated and used his own Flames.

"F-for me, you know, it started when I was protecting my cat, wh-which was when I felt determined to give my all to make her better. But after I awoke my Lightning Flame it was a matter of connecting and feeling it and since then I've been able to control what it does... For madre her Mist Flame feels cool, for Kyoko and Ryohei it's warm and bubbly. Hana and Takeshi say theirs is a comfortable chill and feels... flexible? Y-yeah, flexible. My Lightning feels like soft pins and needles and slightly warm... My Sky feels like I have a miniature sun inside me."

Hibari, still crouched over him, grunted and kept the nervous and compliant Tsuna pinned as he closed his eyes concentrated. Tsuna glanced at Reborn and found the evil infant looking distinctly amused by his student's predicament. When the tonfa pressed to Tsuna's neck flared with purple Flame Tsuna shrieked in pain at the staggering feel of burned-through flesh and lashed out reflexively, sending Hibari flying back to land on his feet. Tsuna sat up with a muffled whimper and placed a hand to his throat, already knowing that blood would stain the tips by the feel of hot liquid running down his flesh.

Touching a hand to the new and swelling bruise, tasting blood from a cut in his mouth, Hibari observed Tsuna grimace and eye the blood on his pale hand. The burn looked more like a cut for how it reached deep enough to cause liberal bleeding to stain his little carnivore's tank top. Frowning, Hibari approached Tsuna and hauled him to his feet before he tilted the boy's neck to see the true extent of the damage. Tsuna was fascinated to see that it appeared as though the prefect was quite displeased by the damage he had caused.

Hibari turned to Reborn, who had a blank look on his baby face. "Little one, you have a yellow pacifier. Does that mean you have Sun Flames?"

When Reborn nodded Tsuna found himself hauled over and pushed to the ground in front of Reborn who, by then, then had a slightly amused expression. He obliged to the wordless request (more like order, this is Hibari) and hopped up to his student's shoulder to heal the nasty wound. Reborn looked up and eyed the prefect's own facial wound questioningly, but the upperclassman merely turned and left the area without so much as a single glance.

Tsuna decided that making sure the wound was healed was Hibari's version of an apology for the accident.

"So, Baka-Tsuna." Reborn perched on his shoulder. "You have an interesting sway over your Guardians."

"Guardians. Um, could you explain that?"

"You're the Sky. Hibari is the Cloud. Do the math." Slap with the Leon-ruler. "I told you this already, don't be so stupid."

"... Ow... Sorry. I'm going to get some ice cream. I assume you'd like a coffee flavored one, if anything?"

"Yes." Reborn hopped onto Tsuna's head and tugged some hair. "Now mush."

 **o o o**

Tsuna awoke in a cramped metal box with holes and he was almost breathless with fear. What the hell happened? He could only remember reading Fuuta a bed time story and then having a cup of hot chocolate his madre made before going to sleep in his own bed. There was little light coming in through the holes and he could smell metal, oil and saw dust that tickled his throat.

Static crackled in his left ear and he let out a little shriek. _"Calm down, Baka-Tsuna. I'm here with you so you're in no real danger. This is a test for Gokudera, Yamamoto and Ryohei. They're already a part of your Famiglia but I still feel I should see their abilities."_

"R-Reborn... damn it, fine. You could have told me!"

" _Would you allow them to go up against fifty armed yakuza men?"_

"If they end up in the hospital I will never forgive you," Tsuna said with a snarl.

" _I've read them correctly, Baka-Tsuna. With Yamamoto's swordsmanship and Gokudera providing backup with his bombs alone they would rescue you easily, but factor in Ryohei and none of these men will last long enough to land a good hit."_

"... How many people have said they hated you in your life time?"

" _Too many to count. Shut up and relax, you'll be out of there soon."_

"Fine. This trusting you thing can get difficult."

" _Only because you're making a big deal of it. I'm your tutor, I won't let you down._ _Now shut up_ _."_

Ten minutes later explosions shook the ground and there were a lot of screams before the metal crate he was inside was picked up and carried off. Tsuna yelped in surprise but either these Yakuza bastards deal in human trafficking or Reborn somehow made the air holes sound proof. He was being shaken violently and he felt a lot of possible bruises before the man carrying him suddenly threw the box away and Tsuna's head slammed against the side hard enough for him to see stars. Warmth ran down his face and he groaned. Of course he'd get hurt. Of course.

Having had enough Tsuna summoned a mass of amber Sky-Lightning to his finger tips and he pressed them up and along the edges of the box like a welding tool would cut it open.

"Juudaime!"

"Tsuna!"

"Otōto!"

Tsuna pushed the lid off with a groan and then flopped out of the small metal box. He felt all woozy and now that he had sunlight to see by he could tell that things were really spinning. Footsteps rapidly approached and Tsuna turned his bleary eyes on his three approaching friends. Takeshi, fastest on his feet, dropped down beside Tsuna first and checked his head with wide-eyed concern. After checking that no bones were broken Takeshi picked Tsuna up and turned to face an irate Gokudera and Ryohei.

"Carrying the Juudaime like a princess is disrespectful!"

"That's an EXTREME head wound, Otōto! Let me fix you up!"

Takeshi merely laughed at them while Tsuna mumbled and let his head rest on the swordsman's chest. The world continued spinning, the light seemed to eye-searing; Tsuna's head felt like there was a huge crack going all the way through it, and his ears were ringing softly. He felt so sick. He barely noticed when he Ryohei's hands came to rest on his head until healing touch of Sun soothed away the awful concussion.

"Juudaime!" Gokudera fell into a dogeza position while the Decimo was still held up in Takeshi's arms. "I'm deeply sorry! We failed in keeping you from harm! What is our punishment?"

"G-get up, Gokudera-san," Tsuna said, perfectly comfortable not testing the stability of his weak feeling knees. He rubbed his head and smiled apologetically at his male Rain. Takeshi simply laughed and held Tsuna a little closer, showing he didn't mind at all.

"But, J-Juudaime, you were hurt!"

"Yeah, and I'm okay now." Tsuna smiled awkwardly. "In case you haven't heard, I'm still known as the Health Hazard of Namimori-chuu."

"No, you're incredible, Juudaime! Those bastards are too blind to see your greatness!"

"Maa, Gokudera's right, Tsuna, you're not bad at all, you're pretty awesome." The swordsman's sweet smile became a grin when his Sky turned bright red. "Think you can walk or should I carry you home like a blushing groom?"

"Hiiee! T-Takeshi!"

"Ahaha! I'm kidding, you're more like a bride."

"SWORD FREAK, you'll stop insulting the Juudaime's masculinity right now before I blow you up!"

As it was, Tsuna wasn't quite as comfortable in the grinning Takeshi's arms after that and asked Ryohei for a piggy-back ride home. The Sun user happily obliged, citing it as good training. Tsuna didn't begrudge Reborn for the physical trauma he went through. So far he hadn't yet broken any bones under the tiny hitman's tutelage so that automatically made the training more than bearable for the moment.

Fuuta made another ranking just minutes after Tsuna was carried home by Ryohei. He stated that Tsuna was third most likely in the Mafia to adopt stray kids and love them like his own. Takeshi laughed and said Tsuna made a good mother and Ryohei agreed. Whether the boxer fully understood what was said or not, Tsuna took refuge beside a seething Gokudera kept in line only by his firm grasp on the bomber's shirt. Reborn was suspiciously quiet...

Later that day during training Reborn shot at Tsuna's feet for an hour, making him "dance" and the young boss could not fathom why.

 **. . .**

"You're pathetic, Baka-Tsuna. Perfect grades on homework, pitiful work in class. Tell me, why the difference?"

Tsuna gulped at the Leon-gun pointed at him. "I-I... i-it might be... I'm comfortable at home. It's my territory, nothing can hurt me. No one judges me. I-I feel completely at ease here, so... I have no problem concentrating. Th-though to be honest I... feel like I'm getting better with my Sky unsealed..."

Reborn nodded. "That's part of the risk in sealing off a powerful Flame connection. The subconscious knows that the body is weaker and more vulnerable and thus other instincts sharpen, giving those sealed a varying degree of ADHD."

"What's that?"

"Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, meaning you have, or had, an incapability to concentrate. You may or may not fully recover from that."

"I'll work harder. If I had some form of music or sound it would help. Like... an MP3 full of clips of rain sounds. Helps my concentration..."

"Hmm. Something to think about. Finish these work pages in five minutes or you dance the Leon Jig for me."

"Hiiee! Okay, okay!"

Tsuna finished answering the last page Reborn put together for him and flopped back with a groan. As always he cheated with Sky-Lightning, but as it wasn't leaving his body it wasn't being used up per se, so he didn't mind abusing that ability. As Tsuna relaxed muscles that had tensed from his hunched over state, he felt a twitch in his Flame and he lurched up, eyes scanning over the room until his eyes landed on his window. There he could see a tiny cow-themed kid pointing a gun in Reborn's general direction.

"Um..."

"You have group training later today, a three hour hike around the mountain with Yamamoto, Gokudera and Ryohei. The girls can come if they want to."

"Okay, but... gah!" He flinched when the cow-kid shot and a rubber-pellet like bullet bounced off his table. Ineffectual clicking followed. No more bullets! Tsuna sighed in relief.

"Mamma has already packed plenty of lunch and drinks, all you have to do is carry them there."

"No problem... You're just ignoring the issue, aren't you?"

"Gokudera is scoping out the mountain trails to ensure there are no dangers. You should be sure to reward your puppy well later."

Tsuna face-palmed and chuckled despite himself- not at the puppy remark, he did not like that, but at how nonchalant his tutor could be. Then something snapped outside and an odd little yell had him rushing to the window to see the cow-kid crying and muttering in Italian. He left shortly after and Tsuna frowned. He had a feeling this was going to be a long, long day. He was proven right when his bedroom door slammed open and in came the tiny gun-toting brat from earlier.

"Long time no see, Reborn! It's me, Lambo!"

Reborn jumped onto Tsuna's shoulder and showed him a complicated paper. "Remember this formula or I make you dance."

" _Va bene_..." [Okay]

"Hey, don't ignore me!" The brat pulled out a damn knife and Tsuna felt his stomach hollow at the sight. "I'll kill you, damn it!"

Having been conditioned to react swiftly to situations like this by Nobu, Tsuna easily grabbed the blade with Flame reinforced hands and jerked it out of the child's grip before grabbing up the kid like an errant kitten.

"Lemme go! I, Lambo-san, is five years old, and a hitman from the Bovino _Famiglia!_ My favorite foods are grapes and candy and I, Lambo-san, met Reborn at a bar! Lambo-san demands his freedom!"

Tsuna tossed the knife onto his bed and did not put the kid down. "Why are you trying to kill the world's greatest hitman?"

"Lambo-san's boss ordered me to kill Reborn! Put Lambo-san down before I kill you too!"

It was a highly disconcerting sensation the feeling of disconnect he felt upon hearing that. Hitman, sure, there was a _physically_ younger one in the room, but to send him on a suicide mission? Was the kid hated that much by his own family? Tsuna did not put the kid down for a long minute as his brain processed the horror of Lambo's statement, and when he did he shuddered at the anger trying to claw its way out of him. His Sky presence was caught between warm and cold by this time, making the Arcobaleno frown.

"Lambo, you are a guest in this house and you will go sit down in the corner until I'm done working."

"No! Lambo-san must kill Reborn or Lamb-san can't go home! Boss said the great Lambo-san is extra baggage if Lambo-san can't kill Reborn!"

Right there the hitman tutor felt a chill of foreboding. He, as one of superior intelligence, could already see where this was going. It was inevitable really, like his mother Tsuna is certainly the type to adopt any stray he could, whether that be a perfectly behaved child like Fuuta or a little monster like the cow...

"Lambo!" Tsuna's voice wasn't much louder than usual but the tone was sharp and firm. "You've been very bad. You shot a gun into my home, you waved around a knife, and now you will sit in a corner and be quiet for ten minutes."

"Lambo-san doesn't have to listen to mop-head boys!" The baby wriggled and pulled a (pink) grenade out of his hair and this was the last straw. "Lambo-san says -"

Tsuna grabbed the grenade and tossed it out the open window two seconds before it exploded, then he, carrying Lambo under his arm like a football, went onto his knees to grab rope he'd asked Gokudera to get for him. Apparently paracord is some of the strongest rope around since it's used for parachutes. With that Tsuna let the kid go long enough to pinch a fairly painless nerve in the back of his neck and proceeded to wrap the briefly paralyzed child up in the rope so he resembled a mummy*. Lambo had yet to stop screeching at the treatment and Tsuna, not noticing Reborn watching with a little grin went to grab a scarf from his closet that was then wrapped around the Bovino kid's mouth and ridiculously voluminous hair.

Silence. If one ignores the muffled squeaking and whining of the kid. Tsuna placed the boy in a clean corner by his desk and had the child face the wall.

"If you are staying in my home, Lambo, you are going to listen to house rules or you will never get candy ever again." Lambo's muffled voice only grew in volume and when Tsuna put on his best Hibari-Stare-of-Doom and turned the kid, Lambo immediately quieted. "There we go. You stay quiet for ten minutes and I will get you some grape candy and let you go play."

The little Bovino's emerald eyes started sparkling as Tsuna once again had him face the wall.

Tsuna turned and nearly swallowed his tongue when he came literal face-to-face with a smirking Reborn crouching on his desk. "Good work Baka-Tsuna, you tamed a stupid cow."

Tsuna coughed, trying not to grin. "If I give in to a kid like that I'm only inviting more trouble. I can't and won't let him run wild in my madre's home and wreck anything."

"That's the way a good boss takes care of his mamma."

"Mm hm, sure... LAMBO, turn back to the wall or I'll put you in a time out cage!"

Reborn smirked. "You have a cage?"

"Had a rabbit three years ago and while Iemitsu never came home but he went overboard trying to help us make the best home for it. So yes, it's a big cage probably made of some ridiculously tough metal. Pierro ate Bon after he bit me, so I told madre I released the bunny into the mountain to live free. I trust you won't tell her?"

"And make her sad? A real mafioso keeps their matriarch happy."

"Good."

Tsuna groaned slightly when Reborn shoved more work papers under his nose and, with a grimace, got to work after setting an alarm on his cellphone. Having finished the tutor-work and being allowed a break (well, Tsuna finished his papers and pulled out a sketchbook and was allowed to keep drawing...) Tsuna wasn't hindered in untying the Bovino and the kid immediately clung to his leg with a happy smile.

"Lambo-san was good! And Lion-Hair untied Lambo-san like he said!"

Tsuna detached Lambo and lifted the kid into his arms. It was easy to just settle the cow-boy on his hip and he was glad Takeshi wasn't around to see it because the boy would definitely comment on Tsuna playing mamma being cute. Reborn twitched at the sight, though Tsuna didn't notice as he left the room with Lambo singing grape candy over and over again. The distant sounding order to stop singing or no candy filtered up to Reborn and the Arcobaleno pinched the bridge of his nose.

The Sawadas' were taking in a rabid stray. Beautiful.

Nana took to Lambo straight away and Fuuta played with the kid by indulgently letting Lambo ride on his shoulders in the ten minutes it took for Tsuna to find a weighted second-skin like suit . Due to his ridiculously slow growth rate, and the stretchiness of the suits, he hasn't needed to get any resized. Tsuna pulled on a pair of weighted black gloves that Nobu, who still hadn't returned from his trip to 'Australia', expected him to wear every chance he gets for some reason he never specified. The good thing about the multi-piece suit was that it was very difficult to tell where it ended and his skin began. Touch was the only way to know for sure.

With some nudging Lambo gave Nana a hug because that's what madre's need, hugs and love and respect, but the brat was a little nightmare before Tsuna used the same Stare-of-Doom as before and told Lambo to be nice to her or he'll never eat candy again. Lambo launched himself at the smiling woman before Tsuna asked his mother if she wanted him to take the kid out with him. Nana waved her son off and said she'd look after Lambo, but then Tsuna put the kid down and took his mother aside.

"Madre, I think... Lambo came from a very bad family. They didn't treat him right and they really spoiled him." Tsuna smiled at his mom in apology. "I know your first instinct is to treat him like gold... but he doesn't listen. He has to learn to listen otherwise... Lambo might run out into traffic or he might take candy from the wrong person and be taken..."

Both Nana and Tsuna walked to the living room and gawked at how Lambo had torn down one of the drapes and was making a fort out of the couch and love seats.

"Um... is it agreed that we have to do right by him, madre? I want Lambo to be the best he can be."

Nana blinked and looked at her son. The expression on his face was serious and soft and so very hopeful as he watched the new honorary Sawada. Her son was much like a little man there, mature and caring and dedicated. She couldn't help smiling and hugging him tight, not even blinking when she jostled Reborn from his perch on Tsuna's head.

"Tsu-kun, if you want to raise Lambo-kun, I'll just have to help!"

"Me too!" Tsuna jumped when Fuuta glomped him from behind. "I'll help too, papa!"

Tsuna laughed and turned to scoop the de la Stella into a warm hug full of pride. "I know you'll be a great big brother, Fuuta-kun."

After this Tsuna did indeed go out on a long hike with his entire (minus Hibari) _Famiglia_. Oddly enough this included Mochida, who was a bit confused as to why he was being included in a big group hike but didn't mind in the least, and in fact he seemed happy. Inexplicably they were all attacked by Mountain People with stone axes and wooden clubs. Somehow the girls were separated from the boys and then the boys were split up, Tsuna with Takeshi and Ryohei with Gokudera, and Mochida alone. Tsuna had been near hysterical in a close-lipped way as he tore through the mountain forest until Takeshi had to grab Tsuna around the middle and release a soft flare of Rain. Tsuna calmed down with a shudder and slumped against his friend before apologizing.

His mind couldn't help going to dark, narrow spaces with grabby men and flesh-tearing nails. What would a bunch of wild men do to any of them?

"Tsuna." Takeshi turned his friend around and ruffled his soft hair. The grin on the taller male's face was reassuring. "We'll find them and we'll save them. Just keep your head and you can't fail."

That was right. Tsuna wasn't No-Good when it came to protecting what was his to protect. Sometimes, just sometimes, he forgot himself and fell back on old habits. With a firm look on his face Tsuna drew upon the power that was slowly becoming easier to activate and his a low-level HDW filled the dense, murky forest with a brilliant light.

Takeshi grinned at Tsuna and placed a hand on the metal 'practice' sword that Reborn had gifted him with just a day ago. It appeared to be made of a pale alloy that quite easily channelled and held Rain Flames. Without Rain the blade is dull, but with the soothing, tranquilizing energy it becomes wickedly sharp.

Guided by Intuition Tsuna lead Takeshi along a twisty and old path to find a clearing full of fourteen Wild Men all laying about in crumpled positions with a panting Hana beside Kyoko. The former, wearing running sandals, had Cloud edged Rain Flames covering her hands and feet and Tsuna recalled the Tranquility ability. Used correctly it could really mess with someone and knock them out cold for a good long while.

Tsuna rushed to their side and checked the girls over for any damage. Aside from a few tears in her clothes Hana was okay and Kyoko wasn't even dirty, though there were some tears in her clothes and a red mark on her forearm. The orange-blond smiled as she explained that she provided distraction for Hana to take out, and though there was a slight niggling in the back of Tsuna's head (no, Kyoko doesn't lie*) the Decimo was relieved. So at ease he almost lost his HDW, but he still others to find so he left Takeshi to give Hana back-up just in case and he took off to find his bomber and boxer.

Pretty easy. Follow the smoke and the yells of "EXTREME!" and "Shut up, lawn-head!". Fortunately Ryohei could heal most of the environmental damage and the rest was Reborn's job as it was the infant's policy not to leave any traces.

Tsuna searched for Mochida last and found the older male surrounded by two dozen Mountain Men. He was panting, arms flickering with his Sun Flames, and even his eyes were glowing. He turned immediately to the sounds of Tsuna's approach and relaxed when he saw the shorter boy. Mochida bluntly explained that he'd panicked when he was separated and the wild men wouldn't stop attacking, but then he snapped and went all out. A few of the unconscious men had shallow cuts as a result. Tsuna told Mochida that he fought well and reassured him that everyone else was okay. Mochida smiled in relief and dropped to the ground in a dead faint after this because he let go of his Sun Flames.

Back with everyone, the hike off the mountain was tiresome and long. Tsuna was swamped with pain and had needed a piggy-back ride from Gokudera, who volunteered before Takeshi. The swordsman had laughed it off and elbowed the bomber before walking behind them to talk with Ryohei, the one carrying an unconscious kendo captain. Before the girls separated from the group with Ryohei and Mochida in tow, Tsuna told them how proud he was of how well they worked together. Kyoko smiled happily and Hana smirked as she ruffled Tsuna's downy soft hair.

Meanwhile Reborn made plans for the two girls. As for Mochida, he knew that frequent spars with Takeshi would get him improving faster than most other teachers.

 **o o o**

There were two guest bedrooms left in the Sawada household after Fuuta moved in. Tsuna noticed that since the day after the last Fuuta Hunt Attack the room next to Tsuna's was being furnished in earnest and themed after purple and baked goods. There was a cupcake blanket and more. The walls, already mauve, had been covered in posters for several Italian girl bands and a few Japanese ones too, and the largely empty bookshelf in one corner was being filled up with Japanese, English and Italian literature. One giant cake pillow took up half the bed and Tsuna, who was partial to cuddly stuffed animals as sleep buddies, was tempted to take it. His mother had taken to burning vanilla and lavender candles in the room too.

Reborn wouldn't say who was coming to live with and help protect Fuuta as a favor to the greatest hitman. He merely smiled, which was quite terrifying by itself, and said Tsuna should not take food from strangers like Lambo would definitely do if left alone.

So it came to pass, on a Friday where Reborn gave Tsuna 'Vongola Iron Stomach Pills', that he met a strange young woman who tossed a poisoned can of pop at him. Tsuna, recalling what he'd been repeating to Lambo again and again, tossed the can into a nearby garbage bin. As he walked away he heard a sizzling and turned to see part of the plastic can melting.

Well. Ranking Children, Not-Baby Hitman Tutors, _Dying Will Flames_ , and Time Bazooka's (which he had yet to have the luck to see in action). Why not garbage cans being melted by food?

Things went downhill from there for the rest of that day. At least Reborn didn't have to use a Dying Will Bullet on him in order to eat Hana and Kyoko's mysteriously poisoned food. That little favor from Reborn just cemented Tsuna's trust in the sadistic, overly creative tutor.

 **. . .**

Bianchi's desire to "free" Reborn from tutoring Tsuna was quite the trial.

For a whole week Tsuna was dodging flying food and pulling the girls and Ryohei out of the way, and three days in Tsuna enlisted Takeshi in avoiding flying food as a part of the game. Get hit with the food and your permanently out of the game, and does he want to get kicked out? Takeshi was all business with the food dodging. Reborn helped once to pull Hana out of the way of a death-cookie heading for Tsuna on her other side. Gokudera had to be rescued more often than not as Bianchi was his sister and the older teen had frequently poisoned him as a child, which scarred him deeply in the subconscious.

At one point Gokudera, mid stomach cramp, threw himself in the way of a poisoned cupcake headed for Tsuna's head and landed himself in the hospital. The Decimo did not take this well.

Caught up in protective anger, he challenged Bianchi to a fight and the stakes weren't terribly high in his opinion. If he won she was to stop throwing food and drink in any of his _Famiglia's_ directions. If she won than she could take Reborn away, however what the baby did after leaving the block is up to him and she had no say in where the hitman goes. It was a painful fight. Just because he couldn't get poisoned doesn't mean the caustic effects could not hurt him, and he walked away from the fight heavily burned and needing a lot of Kyoko and Ryohei's healing touch. Bianchi was knocked out by a pressure point and awoke tied up and in her room.

(Explanation to madre was that Bianchi lost in a game and it was just her penalty. True enough.)

There was a very grudging respect for Tsuna in Bianchi after that.

* * *

 **OMAKE,**

 _ **Accidentally Iemitsu-Centric**_

Growing up on the streets was a life choice, especially after his mother fled from his abusive father in the night and was never seen again.

Iemitsu's Sky Flame grew powerful in his sixteenth year, catching the attention of the Vongola who traced his blood line back to the Primo who moved to Japan with Asari at his side. Timoteo had a man called Reborn, a brutal and scary individual, kill his father, Sawada Hidetada, and then Reborn knocked Iemitsu out in order to bring him to the Vongola. When asked for _why_ he felt the need to do so, since it had been unnecessary and the teen was willing to follow, Reborn had shrugged and said knocking him unconscious made things more amusing. Iemitsu was already strong and instinctively used his Sky Flames in order to fight and survive in the troublesome part of Japan where he had lived in, and training under Reborn (who, at this time, was still an adult) simply made the young man more of an exceptional fighter.

At the age of eighteen Iemitsu had been a member of CEDEF for a year. He visited Japan when he was eighteen to lay flowers on the grave of the mother who fled to preserve her life, but then ended up killing herself with sleeping pills either on accident or because of guilt. He still loved her, always would, and her abandoning him wasn't the worst thing the world could throw at him. He forgave her.

In the graveyard he met a woman called Nana, who was putting flowers on a set of graves in the farther corner of the cemetery. It's where "John and Jane Doe's", children and adult, are buried, and she was singing a slow, sweet song as she arranged flowers. He walked over and asked why she was doing this, and she looked up at him with a sad and beautiful smile that caught and held his heart in bittersweet talons.

"Being forgotten is a terrible thing, I've seen what it does to people. The dead and nameless should never be forgotten, they deserve flowers and attention once in a while. It's only right."

He who had killed for the CEDEF and the Nono, well, Iemitsu felt like he had no right to admire her for taking the time to respect the dead, but he wholeheartedly did. He stood with her for a few minutes, watching the unmarked headstones for a time, and then she turned and asked if he would like to go for coffee. He seemed like a man who had a lot of fascinating stories to tell. He and she went to a coffee shop and he obliged her, telling of a time he hiked in the Amazon (to hunt for an escaped enemy of the Vongola) and got to eat some interesting foods and take photographs of the gorgeous scenery.

Iemitsu exchanged numbers with Nana and texted with her often, talked on the phone at every chance, and he quickly fell in love. A part of him wanted children, more than one, and later on, after getting married and moving to the safest area in Japan, his lovely wife became pregnant. She gave birth to a perfectly healthy little boy at six months. He was so small and weak looking, but his grip was as strong as any other baby. Doctors said he was healthy and though underweight because of his size, he was perfectly normal. Iemitsu could feel that his son possessed Sky Flames and a part of him was overjoyed. Sky Flames are rare and that automatically made his son more special than he already was, but there in the back of his head Iemitsu always felt a bit... unsettled by Tsuna's presence.

His lovely and sweet son, who deserved all the love in the world and more, unsettled him and he could not understand why.

Iemitsu temporarily retired from CEDEF in order to help raise Tsuna and that unsettled feeling never went away as he did his best to love Tsuna regardless. Timoteo began visiting and it was plain to see that the old man was scheming. Neither of his three sons were worthy of the Vongola otherwise he would have retired years ago, and at the old Nono's age changing the Vongola would be a long exercise in futility. New blood was needed in order to better the underworld. While Iemitsu would always be loyal to the old man who saved him from a dead-end life on the streets, he did not like that his little boy was the only hope for the Vongola's continued existence and controlling presence against the tide of human corruption that would, with horrible ease, spill into civilian life.

It was also plain to see that his son could become the change both father and old Nono wanted. He was such a great kid in the playground, he inspired others and he reached out to damn near every other munchkin he met, and his Intuition was nothing to dismiss. Iemitsu never missed that his son was cautious of Timoteo and it never went away.

When Tsuna fell from that tree and saved himself with use of Sky Flames it was the last straw for that strange instinct picking at the back of Iemitsu's head. Those rich and clear orange Flames blew Timoteo's out of the water and the only one who hoped to match it was the adopted son named Xanxus. Iemitsu's own Sky recoiled from Tsuna's, recoiled and filled him with low yearning to send his child far, far away where he could never see the boy again. Worse yet,a part of him that was all Hidetada's blood and damage had wanted to hurt Tsuna, and this terrified Iemitsu.

It was something he ignored and buried, not wanting to think about it. The shame of wanting to hurt his own flesh and blood.

Nana had been making cookies in the kitchen minutes before Tsuna's fall and in that time Timoteo had brought up the idea of sealing his son's Flames. Iemitsu wasn't too knowledgeable about it, but he at least felt that the Nono would not hurt his son. Sealing Tsuna's Sky, which was growing stronger and stronger all the time, would protect the boy from his own Sky Magnetism, Presence, and the raw power that could hurt his young body. This would also allow the semi-retired CEDEF agent to withstand his own son's presence better. Iemitsu only then learned the _why_ for his feeling uncomfortable around his kid- Sky Dissonance could drive two Sky-aligned individuals to kill one another if they cannot Synchronize, which is a different sort of Harmonizing that was not expanded upon. Timoteo himself wasn't too bothered with the Dissonance he had around Tsuna since he had a full group of Guardians balancing his Flame and faculties. Iemitsu would have to find Guardians of his own in order to completely ignore the Dissonance he had with the little Sky.

When Tsuna fell from the tree and that blast of powerful, heavy Sky washed over the area of the Sawada home, Iemitsu knew he could not stay near his son without there being a seal. He didn't hesitate to let Timoteo put the seal over his son's Flames, then he left to visit the CEDEF and begin finding Guardian's of his own. It took a week for Iemitsu to find a strong Lightning and a Storm, both, oddly enough, legitimately named after herbs- Tumeric and Oregano.

Finding his son looking like he was the victim of a war broke a part of Iemitsu's heart even while another part of him was thankful for the seal that kept him from wanting to hurt his son. He managed to stay three months, watching his child fall further and further, and then he couldn't take it anymore. He kissed his wife, asked her to tell Tsuna that he was going away to 'become a star' and that he might return one day. Iemitsu could see that his wife didn't believe that he would stay away, she had so much faith in him.

But he was a coward and he did the only thing he felt he could do- leave and make sure she and their son could live more than comfortably.

* * *

 **Ah... the Iemitsu bit hit me out of nowhere. I was just sitting there trying to brain storm for future chapters and make sure things go together comprehensibly, when BAM, this hit me. I wanted to write a little history for Iemitsu since I felt a bit bad working with him as a cardboard cut-out character. As you can see, it mutated into an Omake and because I like what I did for Nana here I'm more fond of it than I expected to be.**

 **BIANCHI: I mean no disrespect for her, I actually like the character.:)**

 **** Lambo being made into a rope-mummy, yeah, I meant it to be humorous. It is in my head, so I'm sorry if it bothers anyone!**

 **** HANA: I see her as proactive enough to so go for martial arts training in a dojo.**

 **** Kyoko Lying: You'll see why... in a later, already posted, chapter. ;3**

 **REVIEWS: As always, pointing out problems with the writing like typos, repeated words, ETC is very appreciated.**

 **UPDATE TIME: Will be on Thursday because I want to start spacing out the chapters I have already done so they last longer...**

 **In other news...it's my birthday today! And I'm XX years old! :D It is stupidly amusing to withhold my age like this. I may also be slightly drunk.**


	10. Chapter Ten

**THANK YOU TO all those who put this on their favorites and follows!**

 **THANK YOU to those who reviewed: Akayuki Novak, general zargon, Guest, DragonWriter77, XxShadowfangxX, Not-Gonna-Update, Littlest1, sympatheticassassin, vampireharry the 2, jgood27, Kuroi Rin, hikaru, MissSexyRain, and Endless Chains!**

 **Thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday. Had my first hangover, but since it was really, really mild does it even count?**

 **Fighting scenes are not my strength. Please forgive the terrible quality! ALSO... creative liberties, silliness, and serious business. 'Nuff said. ALSO, for my fic, it has been a month since Reborn arrived.**

 **WARNINGS : Coarse language. Mature subject ahead. ****More Daily Life Arc _Cuore-del-Cielo_ Edition.**

* * *

 _ **"And sometimes in life, I imagine, good things do happen. Most of the time, it's the opposite, obviously. But I don't think you should rule out the possibility that just occasionally chance might deal you a good card." ~ Sebastian Faulks "Engleby"**_

* * *

It was a hot summer day in the middle of August and the heat was difficult to bear. Tsuna, as he tended to do on overly hot days, waited until it was darker out for him to go run with his weighted underclothes on. As he disliked going out in the boiling summer heat if he could help it, he used the time Reborn was out somewhere to play inside with Lambo and Fuuta and and get them to paint and doodle between watching TV, or some other creative and distracting activity. Tsuna was not in Remedial Summer Classes because of the copious homework he and all the other students were given, and the fact that his in class work was very slowly climbing up in marks. Partly thanks to all the Leon Jigs Reborn put him through and partly thanks to Hana.

On this particular day Tsuna was with the kids and playing with home-made colored clay completely safe for cow-child ingestion. It was surprisingly fun, especially since Lambo wasn't excessively loud and he wasn't wrecking anything. The day was good, quiet, and Tsuna was absently wondering why, a month later, his sensei still had not returned from 'Australia' and dealing with 'Catfish Traffic'. He better bring back some souvenirs.

During this quiet time Tsuna got a message.

Reborn Text: _Baka-Tsuna, go to Ibitsu Bridge, you have a situation to deal with there. If you don't go you may be responsible for the death of that weird girl. You know the one._

Tsuna Text: _What!? What did you do now!? And WHY her? We just met her once!_

R.T: _The inner workings of a hitman of my caliber can never be comprehended by someone with brain power like yours._

T.T: _In other words it was on a whim. Thank you for the headache, Chibi-sensei._

R.T: _For that your dancing later. And after what I did for you too._

T.T: _Don't make me feel bad! It won't work!_

R.T: _Don't kid yourself, you already feel like you've kicked a kitten._

T.T: _I wouldn't go that far..._

After getting that text Tsuna quickly called up Kyoko and asked her to help Fuuta watch over Lambo while he left to check out some trouble that Reborn cooked up out of boredom. She giggled and hurried right over, not even winded thanks to her Sun Flames.

"You'll be careful, right Tsuna-kun?"

Tsuna patted Kyoko's shoulder. "Contrary to popular belief I _am_ always careful. It usually doesn't work for me."

"Well, Reborn-kun will be with you, right?"

"Yeah, he'll be lurking somewhere out of sight."

With that Tsuna took off and only got lost twice on his way to the bridge. He arrived and found a familiar face slowly tipping a pale and terrified Haru over the bridge. Aside from the one about to commit homicide what struck Tsuna as peculiar was how Haru was decked out in some weird makeshift armor with a hockey stick nearby as a lost weapon. Below them the water was fierce and looked impossible to swim. Well, crap. Adrenaline flooded him along with his Flame, and he blurred forward, knocking the look-alike aside and carrying Haru in his arms like a bride. She was crying as she clung to him.

"Tsu-Tsu-Tsuna-san, desu!? K-Katsu is evil!"

Tsuna put her down at the other end of the bridge and told her in his best "Don't Disobey Me Please" voice to stay there while he took down the idiot. When Haru said they should just run Tsuna smiled and petted her hair before saying that he'd been studying martial arts for a while and he's strong enough to give him something to think about at least. Haru sniffled and nodded, hugging the railing to keep herself standing

"Heeeey, Tsu-kun! How's it going down there? The weather good?"

Holy green tea chocolate balls. Even the voice was Iemitsu. Combined with the stupid smile Tsuna felt the beginnings of an evil grin on his face. There was no way for someone to look that much like Iemitsu so Tsuna decided it was probably Leon forming the flexible mask, meaning Tsuna couldn't use a fist of Sky-Lightning even if he wanted to. He... was going to enjoy this. Perhaps too much, especially if he beats the Look-Alike.

Hybrid Sky increased in volume throughout Tsuna's body and he withdrew his tonfa from the specialized lumbar pack Reborn threw in his face two days before. The golden weapons lit up like minature suns, energy dancing manically in tune with the thrill Tsuna felt building up. With his Sky becoming so active and entering a state close to HDW Tsuna made to charge when he felt a whisper of _You Know Him_ hit like having warm fingers brush across his spine. Safe, that's the sense he got. A familiar presence even.

No. Fight first, enjoy it, then ask questions. Tsuna told himself he didn't always have to try and be responsible, he's entitled to having a lot of stupid moments since he's so young... Granted, as long as the stupid moments hurt only him.

As Tsuna rushed at Not-Iemitsu the tall, tall man laughed a familiar non-Iemitsu laugh and the young Vongola was distracted from it by the cloak of brilliant Cloud Flame that pulsed and settled into his metal gloved fists and on his forehead. _Hyper Dying Will_. Sensing real danger in the raw power coming off this man in waves, Tsuna reacted instinctively with his flames and he dug deep into his well of power to completely charge his cells with Sky-Lightning and force more power to focus and sharpen inside his flesh. On a certain level he felt dangerously close to bursting, to losing control of the destructive Sky trapped in his flesh, but on another he just knew he wouldn't lose himself.

This is who he is. The Sky that protects and defends, he cannot and will not be anything else.

Look-Alike pulled a silver bo staff out and beckoned Tsuna with a cheeky grin that, again, tickled his Intuition but lead to nothing. Finding the feeling distracting Tsuna ignored it merely raised his blazing tonfa and charged with his weapons held defensively. Look-Alike swung his staff and Tsuna blocked it before grunting with effort and pushing the much bigger man back before kicking out with his legs. The man dodged back while laughing, and Tsuna switched his grip on one tonfa so he held the main body and could swing the grip out, hooking the staff and attempting to rip it from his opponent's grasp. The move didn't work and Tsuna felt the impact of a foot send him flying back. He did not remain down, he rolled to his feet and charged once more, ignoring Haru's cries of alarm. The fight then became dodging and swiping at air as neither he nor the masked man could land any more hits. It seemed either Tsuna's speed was growing or the the man was gearing up for making it appear that he lost.

That did not sit well with Tsuna. He didn't fancy himself a prideful person but perhaps spending so much time fighting Hibari honed his warrior's pride? Tsuna stopped holding back and he fought as though he were fighting Hibari on a particularly bad day and he had to more or less fight for survival. A minute difference between one smile and the next told Tsuna that the man fighting him was surprised as hits gained strength, speed, and ferocity. The metal railing stood no chance against the touch of his flaming tonfa, the weapon melted through it like it was nothing and crushed the cement like weak clay.

At this rate there would be no bridge. Several minutes later, with several other large cracks and more wrecked railings, Tsuna decided it was time to try and end it. When next he hooked the man's bo staff with a tonfa the weapon flew and embedded into the bridge because the other allowed it, and Tsuna, acknowledging that further fighting would only bring himself misery in the form of an enraged Cloud bearing down on him, quickly cut the Flames to his tonfa and slammed on into the man's stomach and dropped the other to give the man a Flame-free punch that sent him flying 30 feet across the bridge to land in a heap on the otherside. A moment of deliberation lead Tsuna to deciding that questioning the familiar stranger wasn't as important as the girl he'd just 'saved'. Tsuna breathed deep and forced the tension from the fight to leave his body and he turned to check on Haru, who by then was staring at him like he was an alien.

"You're amazing, desu! You protected me! Is there anything Haru can do for you?"

Tsuna smiled shyly. "Um... be my friend?"

Haru squealed something that sounded suspiciously like "KAWAIII!" and caught him up in a tight hug. It was a good thing his 'pack' was busy with other things because Hana, and to a louder and possibly more violent degree Gokudera, would have snapped at her for such an unsolicited touch. As it is Tsuna went stiff as a board and gently pulled Haru off of him and took a few steps away. If she'd been striking him, no problem, but affection is a different thing altogether.

"S-sorry, I'm not totally c-comfortable with that kind of contact with you j-just yet..."

Haru blinked before a look of worry overtook her cheerful face. "Hahi! Haru has other friends who don't like being touched without warning either! Th-they... oh, I'm so sorry, Tsuna-san!"

Tsuna relaxed and waved a hand with a smile. "No, it's fine. Like I said, I'm not comfortable with you yet, Haru-san, but I will be eventually. So, um, I'll escort you home now."

"Kyaa! You're so cool, desu! A suave, cute, and powerful fighter is walking Haru home!"

In his mind Tsuna was cursing Reborn and repeatedly asking _why_ he had to involve the cute but extremely strange girl.

(Later that day Reborn made Tsuna do the Leon Jig for 40 minutes. He cut off 20 from the expected hour because Tsuna bought the baby some good non-caffeinated Expresso and chocolate coffee as a thanks for being able to punch and kick the Sawada patriarch.

Meanwhile in Italy... Iemitsu sneezed so hard he ruined the nice cake he'd bought himself.)

 **o o o**

Reborn fought with Hibari and defeated the Cloud as easily as one breathes. That alone would have been more-or-less okay since Hibari loved a challenge, but factor in that Reborn purposely damaged the Cloud's pride in much the same way as Tsuna did to Mochida with added verbal barbs, well, that did not bode well.

The fact that Reborn pretty much admitted to beating Hibari in both the combative and literal sense, horrified and drew the young Sky's outrage when he was informed. Reborn, who never does something for absolutely no reason no matter how droll the action seems, assured Tsuna that there was a reason for him laying a beat down on his sparring-buddy. The why became clear when, on a Saturday, Reborn ordered Tsuna to go hiking in the mountain to find the small lake and a waterfall he frequently visited while training under Nobu.

Tsuna arrived and nearly swooned under the rush of fear he felt upon observing Hibari looking Utterly Enraged, more so than ever before (about as angry as the time Tsuna was shot), and waiting for him judging by the terrifying narrowing of his eyes. Reborn popped up in front of Tsuna as the boy turned to run while mentally screaming and told him that if he loses to Hibari he will never defeat his father. BAM, Tsuna was hit by a Dying Will Bullet and, like last time, his Consciousness did not lose out to wild Dying Will. Oddly enough his clothes had not ripped apart. Reborn, you little sadist.

Tsuna turned to Hibari and withdrew his golden tonfa and immediately wreathed them in Sky-Lightning. "Since an apology will never suffice, Hibari-senpai, all I can do is not hold back. I fight to protect something right now, and I cannot say what."

 _I fight to protect your warrior pride, what little Reborn left in one piece._

The bullet's affects lasted five minutes and through willpower Tsuna continued his Hyper Dying Will as he pushed and pushed himself to keep fighting. Usually he would tap out after fifteen minutes of sparring, but Tsuna knew that was too little time for the volatile prefect to vent. At one point Tsuna was pinned to a tree that forced him to bring a Flame powered knee to the older boy's thigh in order to escape, and the fight went downhill from there. Hibari seemed to make it a point to pin Tsuna to the ground or another tree, asserting his dominance and strength and it was as tiresome as it was amusing to the sadistic Arcobaleno that left after another five minutes entertainment.

Finally, just shy of an hour full of brutal fighting and more bruising pins to hard surfaces, Hibari threw an exhausted Tsuna toward the forest and when the boy bounced and rolled to a stop, he swiftly had him pinned down with a bit more creativity this time. Hibari took advantage of Tsuna's state and trapped the boy's slim wrists above his head in a single hand and pressed his tonfa to the boy's throat. This time the Cloud Flames were no hotter than a good heat-pack for sore muscles.

Tsuna wriggled a bit and Hibari tightened his grip on the Sky's wrists and shifted his legs to make kicking a non-option. Tsuna vaguely wondered if Hibari was aware of how physically close he was and then wondered if he was getting hives the same way loud, obnoxious children make Hana ill. Hibari's previous rage had subsided after the extended spar and Tsuna was privately proud that he had made the prefect's breathing heavier while sweat was obviously dripping down his handsome face.

"Aah... H-Hibari... are you waiting for s-something?" _Like me saying I yield? You are the supreme carnivore of Namimori and that Reborn, as an outsider, does not count?_

Hibari frowned and pressed the tonfa to Tsuna's racing pulse and the boy inhaled sharply. That had felt good. That fact was very not good. Hibari narrowed his eyes at Tsuna's reaction and dragged the still Cloud-covered weapon along his little carnivore's flesh. Tsuna's mouth dropped open in an obvious moan of pleasure and he quickly leaned his head to the side, seeking to escape and completely leaving his neck vulnerable. Tsuna was heavily flushed as he looked to the side and eyed a bunch of dandelions as his mind briefly struggled to form proper thought. He missed the smirk that tugged the older boy's lips.

"Hibari, I g-give. You win. P-please let me up!"

Several moments of silence drew Tsuna's eyes to Hibari in time to see the prefect lean down, closing in on him. Tsuna flinched slightly in surprise and twisted his wrists in the firm grip above his head as alarm made him all the more aware. Was he about to be literally bitten!? He had to bite bit his lip hard to muffle a moan when he felt warm breath wash over the sensitive spot. As if to reward that sound there was soft touch just before teasing teeth and warm lips ripped a sharp, unrecognizable sound from Tsuna as he arched his back. Teeth dragged along that spot and Tsuna shuddered and moaned.

Was he supposed to be speaking? Hell yeah. Say something! Escape! Yet Tsuna couldn't form the words as Hibari's touch continued giving him a pleasure he was too innocent to know was possible before. When Hibari drew away from his neck, leaving a reddish-pink mark not unlike a bad sunburn, he moved to whisper and found another weak point as his lips touched the shell of Tsuna's ear and the boy squeaked out another moan.

"You are still mine, Anguma, but we will never own one another." The haze of confusing pleasure lifted at these words and Tsuna turned to look into Hibari's hooded eyes. "The Sky will never cage the Cloud... in return the Cloud will never take freedom from the Sky."

Tsuna swallowed hard, mind racing, then he nodded and cleared his throat. "Th-thank you. Good to kn-know... Um, may I get up now?"

Hibari smirked as he moved away and allowed Tsuna to breathe easier. "Can you even walk?"

"... No. I'm familiar with this pile-of-agonized-flesh-and-bone feeling. I'll have to be, um... escorted home. On someone's back..." Tsuna grimaced as he shifted until he could slowly crawl his way into shade, where he flopped belly first and remained. "I'd call Takeshi myself, or text him, but I'm not confident in my ability to use my fingers. I will so owe you if you do it for me, senpai..."

"Hn." Quiet beeping told Tsuna that Hibari was texting Takeshi about where they're at. "The blade user is on his way."

"Thank you very much. Now I'm just... going to... p-pass out now..."

And Tsuna did just that.

 **. . .**

Tsuna began to question his sexuality after that encounter. Such fights, minus the sexually charged touches and excessive pins, continued another eight times*, each after a Dying Will Bullet, and luckily for the young Sky he wasn't allowed to think long enough to get flustered enough to act unlike his usual self when around Hibari.

It was a scary time for Tsuna. He used to think he was only attracted to girls, but then here comes Hibari and suddenly he's starting to really see the males in his life. Ryohei is still Ryo-Aneki since he feels more like a brother, as the older male was a bit too 'out there' for Tsuna's tastes. Takeshi and Gokudera, on the other hand, certainly do not feel brotherly in the least. Gokudera could be adorable at times and dorky in a good (if excessive) way when it came to Sci-Fi stuff and UMA. Takeshi was thoroughly cute, from his laugh to his silly grin, and Tsuna felt like a dirty freak for finding his best friend and newer friend attractive. For wanting to see what it would be like kissing them when he hasn't even had his first yet. It was beginning to rip him up inside.

Fortunately it was still summer and while Takeshi had remedial classes Tsuna was free to spend time with Gokudera and try not to brood about it. Several times the bomber asked Tsuna why he wasn't smiling more and looking happy. Was there someone hurting him? Did he need to blow someone up? Tsuna continued to deny anything being wrong until one day he was walking beside his bomber when he felt light headed and stumbled. Gokudera immediately had his arm around Tsuna's waist and supported him. With a single touch to his boss's forehead the boy verified that Tsuna had a fever and needed to be taken home, screw the ice cream they were about to get. He manoeuvered the slight brunette onto his back and began a swift pace.

Being small had its perks at least. If he was Takeshi's size he was pretty sure he wouldn't be carried like this. Little did the goof know he was completely wrong.

"Thank you, Gokudera-kun."

"Not a problem, Juudaime! I'll be your legs whenever you need me!"

All was well for two minutes before a slight tingle drew Tsuna's attention to his forearm and a creepy skull appeared with the word bubble, _'I'm terrified of centipedes and millipedes, oh and spiders to the face'._ Gokudera paused at the sight of it before panicking and taking off like a bullet toward the Sawada residence, but then several minutes later another tingle happened and the worst occurred.

 _"I'm scared Gokudera-kun will hate me if he learns I like guys too."_ The voice that spoke was Tsuna's, only softer and possessing all the fear he had. It came from the hand under his Storm's chin.

Gokudera and Tsuna both froze in shock, and the latter felt like his blood had turned to ice.

As terrified as he felt, Tsuna retained enough calm to not thrash out of his friend's grip and crack his head off the sidewalk. He simply shifted until he had his hands clutching the bomber's shoulder instead of his arms loosely wrapped around him. Tsuna began to shake before Gokudera twitched, tightened his hold on Tsuna's legs, and resumed running toward the Sawada home. Once there Gokudera put him down on the stoop and gently grabbed his boss's shoulder, then made him look at his green eyes with a hand tilting the smaller male's head up.

"J-Juudaime... I could never hate you." There was a breathtaking sincerity in those emerald eyes and Tsuna trembled slightly from the staggering relief that washed through him. "Please remember, I will follow you no matter what. Through anything and everything you face, I will be there."

The front door was quickly opened and a tiny boot met Gokudera's behind and he flew forward to land ontop of his boss. The problem with this? At the angle Gokudera had been bent at, making sure to look directly into Tsuna's eyes, he was at the perfect level for a ridiculously accidental kiss of Shojo Cliche caliber. Tsuna meeped, mouth popping open and sharing a breath with the cherry red bomber above him as his own face grew worryingly red. Gokudera threw himself off with such strength he went rolling right into a dogeza position. Tsuna, meanwhile, felt frozen as he realized he could still feel of the bomber's slightly chapped lips on his.

"I'm deeply sorry, Juudaime! Please punish me!"

"Ah. How interesting," said an amused and childish voice.

"Reborn!" Tsuna lurched up, hand moving to cover his slightly swelling mouth. "I-I'm getting skulls all over my body and-and they-"

 _"I hate my father and I feel worthless because I think it hurts my mother."_

"That!" Tsuna's voice creeped up several octaves. "Th-they keep saying secrets!"

 _"I've never been kissed until today."_

 _"I feel like a dirty freak and I shouldn't be allowed around people."_

Tsuna, to his utmost embarrassment, blinked away tears and felt the traitorous physiological reaction drip down his face. He curled up and wished he could go incinerate a few dozen things. " _Fanculo tutto, non posso prendere questo [Fuck everything, I can't take this]!"_

"Juudaime!" Gokudera tossed aside his reservations about treating his boss the same way as that sword freak, and he gently hauled the boy into his arms and hurried inside. He settled his emotional boss on the couch. "Reborn-san, is there any way to get rid of this? He's suffering!"

"Trident Shamal is five minutes away. Tsuna, take off your shirt."

Tsuna and Gokudera stared at the infant blankly before saying in unison, "What?"

"He has to examine you thoroughly. Off with it."

"Reborn-san, that perverted bastard only treats girls! He'll never fix up the Juudaime!"

There was a long moment of silence before a slow grin formed on Reborn's deceptively sweet face. It was pure evil.

"I was originally going to order Baka-Tsuna to get in the top five for highest marks in Namimori-chuu for getting him treated... but I have a better idea."

Gokudera swallowed hard and leaned closer to his boss to whisper. "S-sorry, Juudaime..."

Tsuna meeped and tried to escape Reborn, but the baby jumped on his back and called Bianchi in. Gokudera fainted, foaming at the mouth, and in four minutes Tsuna found himself dressed in a knee length skirt and wearing one of his oversized orange-and-red summer sweater over a warm grey tank. Reborn produced a 'Vongola Quality' brown haired wig from nowhere and after Bianchi put it on Tsuna it was time for the make-up. He felt like he would never live it down, especially when he saw his reflection and almost fainted at the sight.

He looked like his mother! With only a touch of make-up bringing out natural looks, he was a younger, scrawnier version of her! He never knew he was so... feminine, in face and body. Crap.

"I... I look like..."

Reborn jumped onto his students shaking shoulder and pinched 'her' cheek. "You clean up well, Tsu-mi-chan~!"

"Hiiiee!" Tsuna clapped a hand over his mouth. In his current get up that signature vocal tic sounds like a little girl. "Oh, Kami. I make a better girl than I do a guy!"

Reborn snorted in amusement and Bianchi was secretly taking photo's of Tsuna with her phone. In the remaining minute before there came a knock at the door Bianchi almost cooed at the sight of Tsuna brushing the hair off her unconscious brother's sweaty forehead before grabbing a tissue to wipe his mouth. She took plenty of pictures. Maybe this 'assignment' wasn't too bad, she could be with Reborn any time she wanted to with none of the hassle of hunting him down for weeks or months at a time. And her brother had found a cute boss to look after him. Oh yes, good times ahead.

At Reborn's pointed Leon-gun Tsuna hurried to the front door and opened it, face a dark red as he trembled and tried not to either break down sobbing or destroy several things.

"Well, hello there, _signora [lady]_ , are you my patient~?"

Tsuna nodded and rushed away to sit on the couch and try not to resembled a frightened, weak little animal. He failed.

Shamal stepped into the living room and his eyes turned to a displeased Poison Cook. "Bianchi, my deadly sweet love, give me a kiss~!"

"Um... p-please, Doctor Sh-Shamal..." Tsuna drew attention back to himself and the strange man cooed at the cuteness 'she' provided. "I-I have a talking skull d-disease..."

"Reborn, you've shot this sweet little angel with the Dying Will Bullet ten times! That's crazy even for you." Shamal shook his head and quickly sat right beside Tsuna, shifting close to press against the boy's shaking side. "Now, just wait a moment, sweetheart, and I'll have you better in a few moments! Then you can give me a kiss as a thank you!"

Tsuna turned to stone and was caught in a horrific mental image until a small pinch on his hand drew his attention downward. There was a mosquito sitting there and sucking his blood. The only thing that kept him from swatting it away was how his fatigue and dizziness was rapidly fading. Once the bug flew off Tsuna turned his attention to Shamal and upon seeing the man's kissy-face up close immediately screamed and threw himself away, tumbling off the couch as graceful as a drunken baby giraffe. He quickly scrambled for Gokudera and sat on the floor near the bomber as he felt much safer there.

"JUUDAIME!"

Gokudera sat up and quickly noticed the brunette looking up at him with the familiar amber doe-eyes of his boss. Eyes set in the face of a girl who looks a lot like Nana and- no, they didn't. Did Reborn really dress the Juudaime in-

"G-Gokudera-kun, are you okay?"

Well, that baby hitman did it. Changed the boss into a girl. An adorable, doe-eyed, _bellezza [beauty]._

"Gokudera-kun!" Tsuna yelped as the bomber got a nose bleed and fell sideways, once again out cold. "What the hell, snap out of it!"

A weight landed on his shoulder. "Tsumi-chan~! You're that adorable. The effect is doubled with how you normally look like a dumpster kid."

"Hey, Reborn! I do not. I shower everyday, thank you very much. My clothes are not trash either."

Reborn smirked and pinched his students soft cheek before turning to look at Shamal. "Thank you for your services, now get out before I shoot you."

"What! I haven't even gotten to kiss Bianchi! Or that little doll!"

"Well, if you want to kiss Tsumi-chan you'll have to wait until she's changed into her usual clothes."

"Fine, fine. Just hurry up, doll! I have other women to charm!"

Tsuna bolted for his room and swiftly changed into shorts and a big t-shirt with a leopard on the front. He washed off the make-up with soap Bianchi pointed out earlier, and gingerly took off the powerfully clinging wig. He swallowed hard and shuffled down the stairs and poked his head into the room.

"There she is! Tsumi-chan! You're really a tomboy? Reborn, you didn't have to dress her up, you know I don't care about that!"

The baby simply smirked and hopped into his students messy hair. "This, Shamal, is Sawada Tsunayoshi, the only boss candidate for the Vongola and therefore the future Don of the underworld. You should probably treat _him_ with respect considering it's me who is training him."

Shamal froze, jaw dropped. "You sure this kid's a boy?"

Reborn nodded and his air of amusement only sharpened, and Shamal ran a nonchalant hand through his strangely Gokudera-like hair. "I guess I'll have to kill him for tricking me."

"Hiiee! Wh-what!? This isn't my fault! Saying no to Reborn is like telling a tornado to please destroy the next town over instead!"

Shamal paused and then nodded. "True. I still want to kill you."

"... Thank you for treating me," Tsuna said with a glare and a deadpan voice. "The homicidal feeling is starting to be mutual, now please get out."

Reborn cocked his Leon-gun and pointed it at Shamal. "Yes, get out. I still have other forms of torture for my student to go through today."

Tsuna whimpered at the mollified look on the doctor's face.

 **. . .**

Gokudera remained unconscious for the rest of that evening. Tsuna carried him upstairs to his bedroom, privately amused by the change in situation, and made sure the bomber was nice and comfortable in bed.

True to his word, Reborn forced Tsuna to 'run every street in Namimori' while wearing a 36 pound two piece skin-tight and flesh colored body suit that had the boy squinting at his tutor. It was _exactly_ like what Nobu had him run around and exercise in. Was Reborn in contact with his teacher? The thought was both hopeful and a source of pain because he hadn't heard from Nobu yet. The man didn't even answer texts! By the time Tsuna came home he had to crawl the last block and passed out in his front yard.

Tsuna awoke to a crying Lambo poking him with a stick. Seeing the 'adult' that had taken better care of him than anyone back in Bovino open his eyes had Lambo launching himself at Tsuna and wrapping his little arms and legs around the teen's torso. Tsuna was too beyond a lot of movement to do much more than lift a hand and pat the kid's voluminous and bizarre Hammer Space hair. Seriously, how could he sink his arm up to his elbow into that afro? Some bizarre Bovino experiment? Wait, bad thought...

Later that night, when Tsuna was settling on a floor-bound futon in his room as Gokudera was still unconscious in his bed, the bomber awoke with a choked yelp and lurched up so fast he nearly fell onto Tsuna. His face was red in the moonlight and he looked sweaty. It was a sight that worried Tsuna. Was he sick? Did kissing him make him sick!? Oh, Kami.

"J-Juudaime!"

Tsuna jumped up and slapped a hand over his friend's mouth. "Shh! The kids are asleep. If you wake them you're staying up until they're asleep again. Now, are you okay?"

"Y-yes, boss. You were treated, right? That pervert didn't do anything, right?"

"Threatened to kill me when he found out my gener, " Tsuna once more pushed his hand against the bomber's mouth to silence the angry yell that followed. "But yeah, I'm better, and you don't have to worry. Shamal won't do anything. He was satisfied with planning a hellish training session for me."

Gokudera slumped from relief. "Good... that bastard has a lot of diseases that could really mess you up, Juudaime. If you ever have to deal with him again I'll have to be by your side. I was his student, I know some of his patterns."

Tsuna smiled. "Not a problem. I won't bother with him again unless he messes with my friends."

A grimace darkened the bomber's face. "That may be sooner than you think. He'll stay here for a few months, scoping out girls and trying to get into their pants."

There was a five second long heavy silence before the rigid smile on Tsuna's face changed and Gokudera shivered at the poison in it. "Let's see him try anything on Hana, Kyoko, and my madre. His mosquito's won't be able to touch me. Hell, he won't have any left when I'm through with him."

Gokudera chuckled nervously and agreed. That smile was the only thing about his boss that was honestly scary, and so far he'd seen it once on Nana when she swooped in to break up a few bullies bothering Fuuta and that stupid cow. Must run in her side of the family.

 **. . .**

Tsuna was content to ignore the entire Skullitus incident and pretend that his friend didn't know anything, but three days later Gokudera dragged Tsuna into a park they were passing and immediately took hold of the brunet's hands.

"Juudaime, you can punish me for pulling you along like that, but I've waited long enough to say this." The sincerity in those richly colored eyes once more shook Tsuna to the core. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with you. You are _not_ dirty, you are _not_ a freak. You're my boss, my... my f-friend, and I can't let you keep thinking of yourself like that!" Gokudera bowed his head, shadowing those mesmerizing eyes. "You accepted me without a fight, Juudaime, me who is hotheaded and lets his impulses get the better of him, and you... you're too good to think of yourself in such a bad way..."

Gokudera lifted his head and his eyes widened at Tsuna's face. The Decimo couldn't fathom what his friend saw, whether it was the tears beginning to drip down his cheeks, or the sheer relief and happiness he felt beginning to make calm breathing difficult. Whatever it was, Gokudera's face pinked and the bomber gained a determined look before he pulled Tsuna into a firm hug.

"F-forgive me for being forward, Juudaime, but... you look like you need this, and... an aspiring Right Hand provides for his boss," said Gokudera, voice soft and remarkably comforting.

Tsuna's heart had been pounding since Gokudera set those serious, hopeful eyes on him, but the words that came after and the hug undid him. As much a he pretended the Skullitus Incident hadn't happened he still worried, he still felt filthy and so confused over any unwanted romantic thought about his male friends (and sparring-buddy, who may not appreciate the word 'friend'), and he couldn't shake the thought that there was something wrong with him despite online research telling him otherwise. This, however, is exactly what he could not get through internet chat rooms and message boards, this in-his-face assurance of support and physical comfort.

At first Tsuna was relaxed, almost boneless in the hug from the pleasant shock, but when Gokudera's arms tightened slightly, moving to awkwardly rub his back, Tsuna shivered and quickly returned the hug with an almost desperate air. His hands came up to fist the back of his friend's thin summer jacket and Tsuna turned his head to hide his face against the bomber's chest. He missed the way Gokudera shivered, and didn't pay any mind to the way his friend pulled him closer and hunched over slightly, like a living shield.

 _That sword freak is right... Juudaime does give the best hugs._

* * *

 **OMAKE,**

 **(An Extra in which Tsuna starts using a first name in emotional, important instances.)**

 _ **Of stubborn Storms and patient Sky's**_

Gokudera has trouble with letting Tsuna know what he wants to do since he keeps saying _Whatever Juudaime wants! I'll follow you until the day I die!_ or something along those lines. Fed up with his bomber trying to make everything about [Tsuna], the exasperated boy paused in walking around the mall with him and Takeshi. He grabbed the Storm's wrist and promptly pulled him into an empty the side area mostly out of sight with a grinning Takeshi keeping guard. He, like Hana, Reborn and Kyoko, saw this harmless confrontation coming a mile away.

Pink in the face from such a simple touch, Gokudera looked quite speechless as he watched Tsuna and the bomber _almost_ squeaked when Tsuna reached up and took his face in his hands to guide him down close enough for one of the most intimate experiences of his life. Tsuna pressed his forehead to Gokudera's, his rich deep-amber eyes staring into dark sea green with a soft and patient look. Slowly Gokudera's face went from pink to red and he began making noises that were weak attempts at words.

"Are you going to listen, Hayato-kun?"

This time Gokudera did make a sound, just a little meep as his face somehow gained a redder tint. He managed to nod slightly with his forehead remaining in contact with his Juudaime.

"Good. Part of being in mine and my madre's family, Hayato-kun, is telling me what you need and what you want to do while out on little adventures like this. You need to know that I _want_ you to tell me if there's something you want to check out, or if you're suddenly hungry after seeing a food stand. You're just as important as my other friends, remember that. I'm not, and nor will I ever, turn around and decide you are nothing to me. _You are important to me_ , Hayato-kun."

Gokudera had this look of utter vulnerability as he stared down into Tsuna's warm eyes. If the boy hadn't expected tears he would have panicked when his friend began to cry in a remarkably silent way as he pulled back and walked off two yards. He stood hunched and pressed to a wall with his back to Tsuna, and while usually the future Decimo he would leave someone to their theatrics, this was genuine and his big heart had him walk right over, turn his bomber around, and wrap him in a tight, warm hug where he rubbed Gokudera's back and spoke only with his actions. The bomber had frozen and squeaked in earnest, but his arms did slowly lift up and cradle Tsuna as though he were made of glass. When Takeshi asked if everything was alright Gokudera nearly escaped his Juudaime's hold but the boy had an iron grip he could admire and Tsuna said it was okay, keep guarding. Instead of letting the moment go Tsuna whispered that it was okay to cry, it isn't a weakness and in fact it's a universal and powerful way of communication, _So cry and know that I won't let anyone bother you about it_. Gokudera's breath caught and he felt so much writhing and clawing in his chest that he could do nothing more than hunch further and hide his face in his boss's delicate shoulder.

Two minutes later Gokudera had gotten a hold of himself and pulled back to wipe at his face. The Juudaime had the patience of a saint to deal with his tears.

"I-I'm sorry... Tsu..." Gokudera held his breath and ducked his head. "My sincerest apologies Tsu-Tsuna-sama!"

A long moment of silence dragged Gokudera's attention up to see his Juudaime's reaction, and the sight of such a warm, proud (and affectionate?) smile on his face, lighting up those beautiful eyes, turned the bomber's knees to mush and only through sheer obstinacy did he remain standing. No need to embarrass the Juudaime with his weakness, weakness his boss _accepted_ with no looks of disgust. Still, making the boss feel awkward is to be avoided if possible.

"Come on, Hayato-kun, let's go check out that electronics store. I saw you eyeballing it."

Gokudera's face lit up like the American 4th of July.

In the shadows, waving a Leon-fan with a slight smirk, Reborn watched Tsuna pretty much light up that area of the mall with an earnest grin, his Sky Presence powerful and soothing. The hitman watched the affect on several people, all no doubt in tune with their own Flame on some level, as they relaxed and smiled just a bit more. Even Reborn himself felt a sliver of relaxation wash over him. The only thing Iemitsu was completely truthful about in his report was that Tsuna was a growing Sky with possibly limitless potential. This was intriguing and worrying to the Sun Arcobaleno.

The seven strongest are chosen to continue supporting the Tri-ni-set and no one is strong enough to go against Checkerface.

* * *

 *** Reborn is still a sadistic little demon, he's just a bit better about it in my fic. Thus, he wanted to see how Tsuna would react to the Skullitis disease. That dressing him up as a girl bit was all hilarious improv thanks to Gokudera.**

 **** These omake's are really fun to write. Some of them, like this one, are going to be scenes I wrote when inspiration struck but can't find some place to fit 'em in to the main story.**

 **REVIEWS: Any critique you have is as welcomed as any thoughts you have on the chapter. :)**


	11. Chapter Eleven

**THANK YOU TO: Akayuki Novak. Kuroi Rin. general zargon. sympatheticassassin. vampireharry the 2. Endless Chains. XxShadowfangxX. Dragon God xxx. fireycloud. MissSexyRain. Aaaaaand Zivyx! Thank you all for reviewing!**

 **Thanks to everyone who put this on favorites and put this on their follow list too!**

 **TO READERS: I meant this to get out yesterday, but... I'm woman enough to admit that I was distracted by Pokemon, and then One Piece. I watched movie 14 (Victini and Reshiram), then movie 15, both for the first time.**

 **WARNING: More Daily life Arc...**

* * *

 _ **"I love**_ **_deadlines_.** _ **I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." ~ Douglas Adams.**_

* * *

"No. There has to be someone else who can teach her."

"Baka-Tsuna, there's no one else available who could withstand the pressure of her Mist Flames long enough to teach her. Your mother is only growing stronger. If she doesn't get training she may be overwhelmed and go into a coma."

Tsuna was pale as he sat on the floor of his room with Reborn sitting on his pillow. He felt sick to his stomach and he wanted to go destroy a bunch of boulders, or maybe take care of all the garbage in the nearby dump. He could so do it, and nothing but ashes would remain.

"Sh-Shamal is the only one with a Mist Flame strong enough?"

"The only one **available**. Make me repeat myself once more and it's a dance lesson for you."

Tsuna slumped againt his desk chair and swallowed hard. "If you could do me the favor of... of shooting him in the crotch after she's trained should he touch her in any way, I would be eternally grateful."

Reborn cocked gun-Leon with a serious expression. "There isn't a power on earth that could keep me from shooting him dead if he tried anything on your mother, and he will know that."

Just like that all the tension making the young future boss shake bled away, and privately Reborn was pleased by how much trust the boy must hold in him. Made training him easier (to a certain degree). Tsuna looked up with a heartfelt smile and left to go tell his madre that she was going to be taught how to use her Mist Flame, and Reborn then called up Shamal.

"What is it now? I was scoring this gorgeous _signora_!"

"Tsuna's mother is a powerful Mist that needs to be trained for her own good."

"She beautiful?"

"Think Tsuna in drag only matured."

A perverted giggle over the other line made the Arcobaleno frown. "Now think carefully before you come here. Tsuna is the future Decimo and he was powerful on his own without training from me. He has a vindictive when it comes to defending his _Famiglia_. Do you really want to go getting on the wrong side of him? He may hold a grudge until well into his career as proper Decimo, and you will never see the revenge coming." Reborn let that and the fact that he was speaking seriously sink in. "Then there's  me. We're both protective of Nana. Tsuna wanted me to shoot you in the nuts if you so much as touched her, and I promised that no force on Earth could keep me from shooting you dead. Through necessity I am no longer a part of the Vongola, so joining the Varia won't do a thing to hinder me."

Shaky breathing and a wheeze on the other end made Reborn grin. "Good, we have an understanding. Be here yesterday, got it?"

"F-fine _,_ Satan."

Five minutes later Tsuna, who had been seated with Fuuta and Lambo watching a cartoon, got up to answer the door and immediately scowled at the sight of the tall doctor.

"Touch her wrong and you won't have the plumbing necessary for pleasuring anyone."

Shamal swallowed at the snarl on the boy's face and the near physical presence he possesed right then. What happened to the timid, adorable girl he saw yesterday? Was Reborn giving the kid acting lessons?! He was creating a monster, a tiny and terrifying little beast that sent Shamal's heart skipping from 'caution' (because the great Shamal cannot be terrified of children).

"No problem, brat. Move aside so I can get this favor for Reborn over and done with. Then I won't have to deal with the likes of you ever again."

Tsuna allowed the doctor inside and then went to Lambo and Fuuta as the man walked off in search of Nana. He knelt down in front of the kids and had his most serious face on. Fuuta straightened up and Lambo didn't like the expression at all. Where was his smiling almost-papa?

"Boys, I need help protecting my mom. There's a doctor here right now called Shamal who is... not completely good. I want you two watching him to protect her from bad touches, but don't be scared. He only likes girls."

Fuuta's frowned. "Why is this Shamal even here then, papa?"

"Because _mia madre_ has a power that needs to be trained, if not she could get sick and never wake up."

"Waaah! _Z-z-zia*_ can't die!" Lambo threw himself at Tsuna and started crying.

Tsuna cradled the kid close with a little smile and patted his back. "And she won't. Shamal will have to deal with me and Reborn if he touches her, but I don't trust the doctor one bit. That's why I want both your help. I'll pay you in chocolate and grape candy."

"Candy! Candycandycandycandy!" Lambo launched himself off Tsuna and started jumping on the couch. "Lambo-san will protect _zia_ with his all!"

"I will too! Papa and _zia_ do enough, it's my turn to protect!"

 **. . .**

An exhausting but not really notable week later school was back in session and Tsuna, against his wishes, was nominated to be the Pole Knocking Team's representative in the Sports Festival later in the month. Even with Takeshi, Gokudera and his other friends in the room Tsuna still tensed up and became quite nervous under the cold and scrutinizing stares of the other students in the room and he couldn't stutter out a refusal. Deciding he couldn't screw everything up to total hell he had bitten his lip and nodded his agreement. As though his consent would have mattered anyway. On his way home he was quiet and trying to talk himself into not being so nervous he makes himself No-Good by default.

Haru was met on the way and the strange girl was on a telephone pole mimicking the Pole-Knocking Pose! Tsuna had to catch her, which lead to her asking if there was anything she could do for him so he, not really wanting anything from her, suggested she cheer him on the next day*.

A few minutes later Tsuna was found and dragged off for Pole-Knocking Training by Reborn. It actually went well until Gokudera lit a cigarette and got into a fight with Ryohei over smoking, then Tsuna fell into the cold river and coming out soaked to the bone. He refused to undress in front of everyone and hurried home to soak in a hot bath, drink several mugs of honey sweetened green tea, and then eat three oranges and some kiwi. He _really_ didn't want to get sick. While it rarely ever happened it made use of his Lightning all but impossible outside his body, and what about his Sky?

Tsuna awoke the next day with a stuffy nose, a sore throat and little pains all over his body.

"Crap," came his stuffed-up sounding voice. "Of course I get sick the day before. Why not? It wouldn't be an average week if something beyond my power to help with happens to me..."

Tsuna got dressed, washed his face, and grabbed a pack of several months old back of fruit flavored throat lozenges and shuffled down the stairs. He knew his face was flushed and he even felt weak as he ambled into the kitchen and gawked at the sight of Hana, Kyoko, his madre, Bianchi (shudder), and none other than a cheerful Haru puttering around the space and putting together food.

Contrary to what he wanted to do, Tsuna slumped and went along with everything as all the girls and his mother packed up food and drink and sent him off. He almost didn't get to grab his motrin before getting pushed out the door, and forget having breakfast. With a sigh and a small smile Tsuna went to the market to get some salmon onigiri, a snack pack of vegetables and a bottle of orange juice. By the time he made it to school he felt marginally better and bumped into Takeshi who grinned and tucked Tsuna close under his arm as they walked to class. The swordsman talked about this anime he'd discovered and that his favorite character was Roronoa Zoro.

The sports competition wasn't easy for Tsuna. Fevered and with a headache since some dickbag stole his motrin from his locker at lunch, Tsuna opted not to do his best until the Pole-Knocking Competition and got fourth place in Pogo Jumping, then he had to grab and pull Ryohei and Gokudera's ears to keep them from fighting (as he usually did this to Lambo when he got too out of hand and needed a time out). Reborn pulled a stunt and got damn near every student hating Tsuna by framing him for other group leaders being attacked.

At lunch there was a lot of dark glares directed at Tsuna's group and the boy, aside from squinting at Reborn, ignored them and hid a smile when Bianchi knocked out a bunch of perverted boys with some tainted chocolate. Sure, he was freaked out a bit internally but he knew she wasn't crazy enough to kill so openly, and he knew for a fact that Reborn talked to her about only dealing with mafioso after Fuuta. Maybe he was absorbing some of his tutor's evil... After the leader of Team A was poisoned the competition devolved into an A versus B Deathmatch of a kind and Tsuna was caught between being in awe of the total chaos Reborn could create with a few well placed moves, and horror at being the center of attention. Tsuna rightfully blamed 'Pao-sensei' and questioned why he trusted the crazy 'infant' when the little bastard made it so he and someone else was the 'main attraction' in the last match of the Sports Competition.

Everything only grew crazier when it was HIBARI who stepped up to fight Tsuna with a smirk. "If you don't put up a good fight, Anaguma, I will have to bite you bloody."

"D-don't speak so morbidly when you're grinning like that! You look diabolical!"

Hibari's smirk sharpened and Tsuna swallowed a whimper. Looking over at the judges, who were the students known as Most Reliable and with Greatest Grades, set the boy at ease slightly since Hana was there to ensure unbiased judgement.

The Pole-Knocking Match involved several dozen students trying to knock Tsuna from the ground. The Sky felt a tingle of Intuition and it sent a cool shiver through him. The worst thing wasn't losing, it was getting hit with a Dying Will Bullet to ensure a win, and that damn bullet might strip him out of his clothes, and this more than anything at that moment triggered his Flames. Unlike the homey kind of warm static of his hybrid it was pure, hot Sky that flooded him.

Thus, Tsuna spent ten minutes wobbling on the shaking pole and kicking and throwing others off with minimal Sky reinforcing his body before he called out directions to Ryohei and asked him to knock down Hibari's pole. The Sun user was physically stronger than pretty much all the students on the ground, fitting since he's the only other tank the Decimo knows, and so Tsuna needed Takeshi and Gokudera to remain with him to watch his back. In the end Ryohei powered through the throng of students to slam into the pole Hibari perched on and Tsuna was also knocked off his when one of the larger sumo-type students came along and did the same as as the boxer. Tsuna and Hibari both hit the ground at the exact same time.

Of course, no amount of shouting from the judges (Hana) stopped Tsuna from getting mobbed by students who had been filled by a whole lot of anger courtesy of Reborn.

"That is it!" Tsuna, after getting hit in the face three times for his reluctance to use Nobu's teachings on average students, snapped because someone had torn his shirt open. "I can only take so much from you jackasses!"

Tsuna became a whirlwind of movement and a great number of students in a ring around him fell unconscious or took off running with squeaks of alarm or yells of pain. In the middle of the mass of students laying about stood Tsuna, shirt ripped wide open and exposing the scars he absolutely hates on top of a swollen cheek, swelling eye and a bleeding nose. As he calmed down and began to realize that he'd gone and shown the students that he himself was a bit of a monster.

(From that day forward the smarter bullies left Tsuna in peace and his school life became easier now that his senses weren't on constant high alert in school. Few wanted to mess with the Junior Demon who took down twenty-six students in half a minute.)

There was absolute silence in the area and Tsuna turned to stone as he realized hundreds of eyes were settled directly on him. As his breathing began quickening and his head became swimmy, Takeshi, Gokudera, Hana and the rest of his main 'pack' came rushing over. Hana made sure to step on several crotches and faces as she 'delicately picked her way over' the bodies because Gokudera, who had snatched it from Hana along the way, already wrapped a towel around the short Sky. As he was about to thank the bomber Lambo, Fuuta and his madre swarmed him with Reborn sitting on Fuuta's head, and in moments Tsuna found himself removed from the area that was still threatening to send him into a panic attack.

(Meanwhile, Haru took offense to all the students beating up Tsuna and kicked the meanest looking one in the side before proceeding to fuss over him with Kyoko and Nana.)

Since Nana had driven to the school in order to properly transport lunch for all of Tsuna's friends she could drive her boy and her other 'daughters and sons' home. After bidding each friend a good day Tsuna was quiet on the drive home while Reborn sat on the boy's shoulder instead of in Bianchi's lap. The Arcobaleno made some observations and put together a theory that he planned to lay on his student soon.

Recently the normal evening routine consisted of wrangling Lambo into having a bath with Fuuta before the children brushed their teeth for bed. Tsuna then would read them both a few children's stories or recycle tales he has read or watched, and then he would make himself a strong chamomile and green tea with plenty of honey, kiss his mother good night and do his homework right before dropping into the blissful darkness of sleep.

Reborn saw fit to disrupt his sleep by jumping onto his students belly and pulling a muffled shriek of surprise from him.

"R-Reborn! What's wrong? Did I make a mistake on my homework?"

The Arcobaleno settled on Tsuna's stomach and pointed a Leon-ruler at his face. "No, you showed your work and answered properly. What I want to talk to you about is the way you froze in front of the student body after revealing that you can, in fact, fight more than competently."

Tsuna shuddered slightly and looked to the side as he contemplated answering with the truth. Leon-ruler slapped his chest and he meeped. Truth it is.

"Um...I-I liked not being noticed. I liked that I was no different from anyone else, aside from being so lame all the time..." Tsuna turned his eyes back to Reborn and forced himself to keep talking. "I... don't want anyone being scared of me like they are of Hibari or Gokudera. I'd rather be invisible than that."

Reborn poked Tsuna hard in the forehead. "They all have terrible memories, I'm sure they'll forget the incident somewhere down the road and be back to treating you like dirt. What I want to say is this: home is your territory. School is your Cloud's territory, right?"

"Y-yes."

"Why are you so uneasy and incapable of concentrating in Hibari's direct territory? Don't you trust him? If anything the only other place aside from home that you should feel most at ease is school where you know Hibari normally dwells. Nothing can hurt you unless you let it."

Tsuna blinked and his mind raced. A minute passed and Tsuna pulled his pillow over head to smother himself and muffle his voice. "How could I not come up with that myself?"

"You're Baka-Tsuna."

"... True... And the only people who should matter... they're in my group. They're my friends." Tsuna's smile was soft and warm as he looked at his ceiling and imagined their faces with perfect clarity. "The teachers who can't see me for me, the students to try to tear me down, they're all nothing to me. I don't... have to be scared like I have been."

Reborn slapped his student across the forehead with the ruler, making him flinch with a squeak, and gave him a smirk. "For being so slow I'll have you do double the training."

"Ugh... no reprieve, huh?"

"Not if you want to bring the Vongola back to its roots."

Tsuna pondered whether he should ask. "Wh-while we're on the subject, what... might that be?"

"Well, since I _have_ waited until a moment of inconvenience for you, I might as well say it now."

Tsuna flipped over and buried his head under his pillow, barely twitching when Reborn jumped up and sat on his behind. It wasn't the weirdest thing that "baby" has done and nor would it be the last.

"For being such a twig you have a soft butt, _Tsumi-chan_."

Tsuna blushed and shifted to sit up as he muttered all the curses he knew in other languages, then sat on his hands to keep from waving his middle finger.

Being told about the Vongola's origin was eye-opening. In the end Reborn even had Leon morph into a small version of a large portrait in one of the Vongola HQ's treasure rooms (multiple!?), and seeing how some of Tsuna's friends resemble past Guardian's was surprising and a bit amusing. Amusing, that is, until he noticed that the Primo looked like an older, blond and golden-orange eyed version of himself.

"... Wow. I feel weird about this."

"The resemblance is uncanny, I know. The room this painting is in is actually locked but not forbidden from entering. I got in through the small vents."

Tsuna stared at his tutor. "You're a species all your own, aren't you?"

"Did you ever doubt?"

"Ehe... Nope. So, what does this mean for me and my friends?"

"You keep working hard to become the strongest in order to change the Vongola."

"Ah..." Tsuna curled up on his side under the covers. "Okay, well... I'm going to sleep now. G'night."

Reborn hopped onto the windowsill to look outside. Several minutes later Tsuna sat up with a frown. "I never did ask, how did the... informing the Nono that you're resigning from his mafia thing go?"

"Better than expected. The old man is smart as he is foolish, he must have had an idea of what sacrifices would be needed in order for me to train you up properly. He sent me here knowing that I would pick tutoring you over remaining with his generation of the Vongola."

"Hm... what if... what if it's decide that I'm not fit to be boss of the Vongola and it's better to just kill me off? Or... or worse, break me so I become what they want." In the weak moonlight Tsuna appeared to be shaking and seconds from bolting, probably to one of his kids or his mother to check on them. "As the b-bloodiest, darkest group that has to be an option for them, they wouldn't want a bleeding heart on the throne."

Reborn frowned. His student wasn't overly paranoid but he did tend to over think things at times. The boy knew he was chosen because he was the last remaining viable candidate for the Vongola line; that he still thought he was perfectly disposable was cause for some mild concern. The hitman had thought he was helping his student to be more confident, to trust more. There had to be dozens of other worries bouncing around the massive nest of hair, it's a wonder how the boy even managed to sleep at night without more than his tonfa well within reach.

With a sigh Reborn left his perch and jumped onto his students shoulder. "Let me say this once more, and if you keep questioning it you'll wish you were dead after the training I put you through." Tsuna nodded nervously. "As the last possible candidate by blood you are the last _hope_ for keeping the Vongola alive and in power. None but traitors or the insane would think to spill your blood, and if anyone came here thinking to break you in the way you're thinking, you should realize that I don't like anyone messing with my toys. I will kill anyone who tries it. What's more, the Vongola has been protecting you from threats outside of Japan for months now."

Being called Reborn's toy wasn't surprising, but Tsuna's Intuition pinged a soft flare of warmth at that declaration and he figured it was Reborn's way of saying he cares.

The Decimo relaxed a bit. "R-right. Sorry, it's just..."

"Mamma, Fuuta, and the cow-monster."

"Yeah... I can take myself getting hurt, I'm used to pain, but I won't have them hurt anyone I care for."

"Now that your pointless fear has been put to rest it's time to to sleep." Reborn waved hammer-Leon. "Unless you need help?"

"Ah! N-no! Good night!"

 **. . .**

Days later Tsuna awoke to some strange rummaging sounds and found a strange man going through his stuff. Tsuna first yelped before lurching up and swinging what he first thought was his tonfa because he was only half awake, and when the weapon swung toward the man there came a bang and Tsuna screamed before backing up as the man toppled face down on the floor. He wasn't moving and there was a puddle of red spreading from him. It was a long ten minutes before Tsuna broke free of his horrified stupor.

"F-f-f-fuck!" Tsuna flailed and ran around for a minute before literally slapping himself, locking his door, and turning over the body. The patch of red was directly over his heart and Tsuna's own began speeding up to a dizzying degree. Multiple dirty words in multiple languages filled his bedroom for several minutes before he dove for his desk to snatch the phone from its charger. His fingers shook and it took another long minute for him to dial up properly.

"H-H-Hibari*? I-I'm s-sorry for calling so early, it's j-just I've g-got a s-s-situation... I c-can't stop st-st-stuttering! I killed a m-man!" ... "Yes, I'm sure he's dead!" ... "F-fine, let me check again... Not breathing. P-pale. Eyes b-blank and open..." Tsuna whimpered when he heard no thump-thump. "N-n-no heartb-beat..."

"I will dispose of the body, Anaguma."

Tsuna slumped from relief. "Th-thank you, Hibari. I owe you!"

"Hn." Click.

Four minutes later Haru somehow opened his locked bedroom door with a big bento in her arms and found Tsuna crying quietly on his bed. Worried, she quickly shut the door and only then noticed the bloody body on the floor. "Hahi!? Tsuna-san, what did you do!? Why? How?"

"Um... woke up... t-to this guy looming over m-me and... I always sleep with my tonfa nearby! Rebo- _s-someone_! Someone put a gun in my hand! I... it was an accident, Haru-san!"

The pale and shaking girl glanced from her friend and the body before calling up some courage from deep inside and rushing over the body to sit with him on his bed. "It's accidental, and it was self-defence, Tsuna-san. You can't be convicted, I'm sure! You're also a minor!"

Tsuna relaxed a bit and nodded, feeling sick to his stomach. This only worsened when he heard this come from the window:

"Sword freak! Juudaime needs to eat more than your damn sushi for breakfast!"

"Maa, Gokudera that's just mean. I bought an orange and milk for him before I met up with you."

"Cheh, fine. I'm blowing you up if he doesn't like the food!"

"Ahaha! Tsuna always loves the sushi and onigiri I make!"

"Tch..."

Both girl and Decimo were freaking out to varying degrees, with Haru hugging a pillow and rocking herself, and Tsuna twisting (and tearing) the fabric of his big sleep shirt with the look of a condemned soul. Both middle schoolers jumped and the girl reflexively tossed the pillow at the first person who entered- which was Gokudera- and shrieked in surprise.

"Gah! Who the fuck- you crazy broad! What are you doing in..." Both bomber and swordsman stared at the bloody body on the floor with a blank face. "Juudaime, why is there a corpse on your floor?"

Tsuna's mouth wouldn't work this time and he ducked his head with a strangled noise of distess. Takeshi immediately hurried to his side as Gokudera, who had the most experience investgating corpses, went to check the body and grudgingly trusted the dumbass swordsman to care for the Sky.

"Tsuna, what happened?" Takeshi had his arm wrapped around Tsuna's shoulder in a firm side hug. "You're okay, right?"

"Yeah, I'm ph-physically fine. I-I woke up a-and he was there, l-looming over me! I tried to hit him with my tonfa but... _someone_ placed a gun where my weapons usually are a-and I..." Tsuna shuddered and rubbed his temples. "K-killed a man. I d-don't know what to do..."

Gokudera frowned. "How long has he been dead?"

"Around twenty minutes... I th-think."

Crouching by the corpe's head and eyeing the body over, something gave Gokudera a niggling feeling so he stuck his cigarette close to the man's face. "You, if you're alive ya better move. If not I have no problem shoving this lit cigarette into a dead-man's eye."

There! A big twitch! "Juudaime! He's-!"

A dark figure sailed through the open window and there stood Hibari. He cast a look of disgust at how crowded his Anaguma's room was, but when he saw the supposed corpse slap away the cigarette centimeters away from his eye, the prefect narrowed his own. Anyone knowing him knew this was a look to run from, so Tsuna asked Gokudera and Takeshi to escort Haru out of his room and to wait downstairs for him. Both reluctantly did quickly enough, and Tsuna stood to the side with his golden tonfa in hand as something of a security blanket. For the record he found one a foot from where they always are.

"Who are you?" Hibari's voice was low and cold. "You invade territory not yours and terrorize my naive and stupid Anaguma. Who sent you?"

Behind him Tsuna face-palmed and groaned softly. In his hidey-hole the Arcobaleno was internally laughing.

"This is Moretti, he's a pro at being assassinated." Tsuna and Hibari turned to look up at where the hitman left a section of wall above his bookshelf, then the wall reformed and looked totally normal. Tsuna grumbled in Italian and hid his face and Hibari simple leveled a deadpan look on the baby as he continued speaking. "Moretti can use a technique called _Addio_ to stop his heart at will to achieve a state of apparent death."

"Let me guess... he's a tricky _Vongola_ member?"

"That's right. The Nono has allowed me to use some of the _Famiglia's_ resources to train you but I still have the say in how you're trained. Don't get huffy, Baka-Tsuna. The old man knows that if you are to succeed the Vongola he has to step back and stay out of your life as much as possible."

Hibari had a look of interest at the tone of sheer loathing- and was that rage?- that Tsuna had used. Honestly hating someone was a new side to his little carnivore.

"So... you orchestrated all this just to test how I would react if I accidentally killed someone?"

"Obviously. You also did well enough, Baka-Tsuna. You eventually called the most influential person you know and trust, and trust is something you still have to work on. I actually expected more panic and failure."

Tsuna hung his head. "I miss Nobu-sensei... At least he was straight-forward with his crazy training schemes."

Hibari tugged on Tsuna's hair. "Anaguma, you fight me later today."

It was a Thursday but Tsuna felt he needed to let off some steam so he nodded at the Cloud user. "Gladly."

 **. . .**

For the 31 days that Shamal taught Nana to use her Mist with skill and imagination, Tsuna came home from training and group-bond strengthening trials under Reborn to find reports on his desk written in crayon and colored pencil. No doubt it was Fuuta who suggested it, and Lambo probably thought it would get him more candy if he started emulating Fuuta. To reinforce that Tsuna told Lambo he was proud of him for helping Fuuta and listening to him, and gave him three pieces more candy than usual. Reborn said it was like training a dog, you reward for new tricks, and privately Tsuna was of the same mind.

Coincidentally the 31st day of his madre's training landed on a Tuesday and it was one of those days where Hibari ordered Tsuna's pack to come later because he didn't want to deal with their crowding and so the prefect, as always before, lead a quietly amused Tsuna home. Tsuna went ahead of Hibari only as they made it to the front step, and while the drawn curtains were peculiar the Sky trusted his Intuition saying nothing was wrong, and he opened the front door only to squeak in alarm at what he saw and register the cool, familiar presence of his mother's Mist Flames. Before Tsuna could take a step forward Hibari had shoved him to the side and into a lilac bush before stalking through the door.

Thinking on it, Tsuna decided that Hibari thought that Anaguma territory was also his to protect. That or the strange prefect decided Tsuna was his property-slash-territory to protect (at certain times, perhaps?). The former was far more likely as there was only one place to get his madre's out-of-this-world food.

What Tsuna opened the door to see was his home transformed into a tropical looking paradise, one he found filled with bird song and the sweet smells of mango, pineapple and the green, wild smell of nature as he entered the illusion. Following after Hibari brought him directly into warm air that caressed his cheeks and brushed through his hair, and as he took off his shoes and socks just to check, he found that the fine white sand making up the floor really was soft and felt warmed by sunlight. Right as he made to walk further in he heard a burst of children's laughter and his mother's soft giggling. A quiet Hibari-grunt answered and the prefect appeared through an obscured doorway where he had to push aside heavy, waxy green leaves, and promptly yanked Tsuna in by the wrist.

His mother was sitting there on a couch made of soft looking moss and smiling in delight as Fuuta, Lambo and even Piero splashed in what looked like a large stone pool in the middle of the living room. Tsuna's jaw dropped as he actually felt cool water hit him when Lambo splashed in his direction. Hibari glanced around and settled his gaze on Tsuna's gobsmacked face and softly mirked. Privately he found the Mazakuma's illusion to be beautiful and a work of art. He kept his 'Wao' inside and promptly shoved Tsuna into the stone pool. His Anaguma face planted in the shallow water and popped back up, looking soaked and once more surprised.

"Madre, this is amazing! You learned to do this in a month, that's... beyond amazing, that's incredible."

Nana blushed and looked toward Hibari with glowing indigo eyes warm with happiness and to the prefect's surprise a gorgeous black and blue bird with generous, shimmering tail plummage appeared and flew to sit on his shoulder. Hibari's eyes widened slightly when he felt the bird's warm head nuzzle his cheek and trill sweetly. It was remarkably detailed and though he knew it wasn't real it was still enjoyable.

Tsuna couldn't be prouder of his mother, not unless she went and decked Iemitsu for abandoning them for so many years. He could dream...

* * *

 **OMAKE**

 _ **Morning Tea and Hysterical Sky's**_

Every early morning Kyoya would leave his quarters and find the living room smelling delcious due to matcha tea, wagashi, and a simple but tasty breakfast. One of the few meals his mother could make without obsessing over the ingredients and messing up anyway.

Kyoya grew up being able to tell his mother everything and trust in that she never judged him unfairly, and always gave sound and objective advice. When he told her of the Momonga-turned-Anaguma that he had claimed as his own she had asked about him, smiled when he described Tsuna as a small and fluffy creature with the beginnings of formidable fangs, and simply said that he has to look after what he claims as his. Years later when he said that he enjoyed touching Tsuna, something he would only ever admit to her, she had brightened like the sun and said gender did not matter as long as there is a connection between him and his Anaguma, and then she went on to say that he should be careful and wait for his chance to physically show the boy his interest. When Kyoya, trusting his intelligent mother to not breathe a word about it to anyone, told her about his Anaguma and the violent future he had as the boss of a brutal mafia, she had gone quiet and thoughtful before speaking ten minutes later.

"My Mozu-kun, Tsuna is your Sky and you are his Cloud. This is a connection that does not mean control over one or the other, it means that your Cloud Flames have Harmonized with your Anaguma's Sky." Hibari Mitsuko had a sad and broken smile on her face as she picked apart a wagashi cake. "If you die he will feel the loss like his heart being shredded, and if he dies you will feel a backlash of similar pain that varies according to your own feelings for him."

Kyoya was patient as he sipped his tea and nibbled on sweet cakes.

"Being a part of a Mafia is a very challenging life choice, and from what you have told me of Tsuna, he won't stand for being the boss of a Vongola that continues to climb in power while crushing the competition into bloody matter."

"He would choose the trickier path," said Hibari, thinking back on how Tsuna looked broken often times after his brutal training with the powerful man named Nobu. "And out of his pack he is the only true carnivore. He will need a monster." Kyoya watched wind chimes clink and twist in the wind outside the open tea room window. "If I'm feeling generous I will protect him when his pack fails him."

Mitsuko grinned and sweetly said she was proud of him for being a man of his word and following logical rules to "claiming" someone, as she pointed him to years earlier.

One morning tea time with his mother was interrupted by a call. His own pack of subordinates knew it was a tonfa to the shoulder if they interrupted this for anything less than some fool trying to destroy a part of his family's territory (see: entire town). His surprise came out as a narrowing of his eyes when he saw it was his Anaguma calling. He was further surprised to hear that fluffy little Tsuna had shot a man dead and was absolutely hysterical, voice cracked and seconds from full out sobbing. Kyoya exercised patience and pointed out things for him to check on and when the death was confirmed Hibari stated he would dispose of the body.

Mitsuko looked strangely sad and wistful when he glanced at his mother. "Ah, the first kill. It can really mess someone up, you may want to take the time to calm him down and reassure him that he could slaughter a building full of criminals and you would not turn your back on him."

Kyoya thought for a moment. How would he feel if his Anaguma became a vigilante killing criminals? Hm... No different, the fanged bunny would still be his and nothing will change that.

* * *

 *** Originally a Haru scene was written out but... it felt forced and unnecessary. Rest assured, however, that she and Tsuna will be friends by chapter 12 just... off-screen because I'm (okay, not so) occasionally lazy.**

 *** Tsuna's inability to be perfectly on part with suffixes is partly my fault and partly because emotions get the better of him and he forgets that he should use them. :D**

 **This chapter feels slow and kind of awkward to me and I can't put my finger on it. Despite that I included what I wanted and I know I'm going to have to start changing things more (like, passed the latest chapters where I have kicked canon in the nuts and then some). Hopefully the quality will change in chapter 12 because I'm going to go over it with a freaking _micro_ -toothed comb.**

 **I really don't say this often enough, but I appreciate that people take the time to read my silly little fic and when some of those who enjoyed it take the time to leave me a comment or a review, that makes me feel like I've been spinning on my spinny chair for half an hour and some of you will know what that feels like! Especially when I tilt my head and get this ticklish vertigo feeling.**

 **Um, anyway. Being a dork aside, thank you very much for reading. (And, as always, critique and the pointing-out-of-mistakes is appreciated!)**


	12. Chapter Twelve

**THANK YOU: Arashi - IV of VI, general zargon, Littlest1, Akayuki Novak, Slightly Wicked, MissSexyRain, jgood27, reader713, turtlefan16, Kuroi Rin, vampireharry the 2, and EndlessChains.**

 **WARNING: Perhaps some reading between the lines is needed in this chapter. Also, SPOILER ALERT: Limey scenes meaning no ****sex** **.**

 **NOTE: Feeling antsy about uploading it since there is _always_ something else wrong. That said, reviews are always appreciated and they really motivate me, even the critical ones. :) Pointing out flaws and things about my writing that really bothered you is extremely appreciated and will be be noted (as long as it's not an unnecessary flame).**

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 ** _"A single rose can be my garden... a single friend, my world." ~ Leo Buscaglia_**

* * *

When all of his friends and mother began acting odd Tsuna could only come to one conclusion:

"Hey, Reborn, is it your birthday soon?" The Arcobaleno stared at him for a moment and nodded. "Ah... guess I need to find you a present."

As Tsuna tapped his own chin and walked off muttering about how little he really knew his tutor, the little hitman shook his head. His student had actually forgotten his own birthday. What a moron.

 **. . .**

Over the next two weeks Tsuna helped his mother work on coffee flavored cakes and treats, helped (and bonded with) Haru by coming up with a costume for her to make for Reborn. One he could use when he's feeling 'playful' (IE, in the mood to instill terror). He also made suggestions to his friends on what they should get Reborn for the Arcobaleno's birthday, but only in a few cases. Mochida apologized for not being able to attend Tsuna's birthday and gave him a bag of four expensive small boxes of his favorite chocolate, and explained that he was going to be in a kendo tournament.

On the third day of the first week Reborn seemed to withdraw and become more alert because his chameleon went weird and turned into a cocoon sphere (which was actually a very freaky sight to wake up to!). Why that was so bad worried Tsuna a bit because Reborn said nothing on the subject, but he let it go after his tutor resumed acting like his usual self on the third day of Leon's cocoon-stage.

Gokudera started working on fireworks, which was something Tsuna suggested to distract the bomber from his idea of having the Decimo as a partner in a knife-throwing show. Takeshi planned to make the baby hitman some great sushi, and as for Ryohei Tsuna suggested he do whatever he feels like, since he could get a present or put on a show. Lambo he left to his own devices as the kid wanted to make the hitman something out of clay. Fuuta also worked with clay and like the Bovino he was always messy with paint before bed time. Kyoko made coffee flavored sweets for the hitman, Hana took Tsuna's suggestion of horror films and ran with it.

As for the Decimo... He was stumped for the longest time, and as he had few skills to fall back on he decided to just try and imagine the hitman as an adult and draw him.

It took a week and a half of drawings and two sketchbooks that he burned via Sky-Lightning for smores with the kids, but Tsuna decided that he had made a handsome likeness of a tall, dark and devilish man that would, at the very least, keep Tsuna from being shot for half-assed work. His idea of Adult Reborn had the hitman exiting a shadowy alley with a dark smirk while touching his fedora with a bigger and less childish looking Leon sitting on his shoulder. Tsuna carefully gave the inked drawing 'life' via pencil crayon and water colors, then he used a sealant to protect the work from smudging. The young artist felt hopeful, but would be ready to dive to the side to escape any mallets flying at his head.

Reborn disappeared with cocoon-Leon for the day on the thirteenth and Tsuna had fun helping his mother, son, and the girls (minus Haru who was putting last minute touches on Reborn's present) decorate. He promised Lambo candy if the kid could stay quiet in the living room and watch TV, and fortunately it was one of those times that the little rambunctious child listened. So the spacious backyard was strung with white Christmas lights along the fence, poles were fitted with electric lanterns, and the large table was set with covered food of Japanese and Italian and treats as the sun began setting. A large stereo system was connected with Tsuna's old MP3 player and the air was filled with a mix of Japanese and Italian songs. There were two cakes set on the table as stars sparkled in the black velvet sky.

(One might be wondering how Tsuna could be so thick about this, but keep in mind he was certain Reborn would want the most extravagant birthday party possible and two cakes wasn't surprising. In fact Tsuna felt that it was pretty damn tame compared to what he'd had a freaky dream about two nights before.)

"Hahi! This place looks amazing!"

Tsuna turned and smiled at the mildly zany girl. "I'm glad you like it, Haru-chan. Did you make the mask?"

She shivered but smiled and flashed a thumbs up. "Haru did everything! It was so new and scary, but I'm happy with it, desu! You have to help me with more designing, Tsuna-kun! Pretty please?"

He chuckled and nodded. "Sure, it was loads of fun!"

Gokudera arrived after that and set up his fireworks with a proud grin on his handsome face, and when Tsuna asked about the stylish looking black and orange lumbar pack he had slung over his head the bomber flailed slightly before saying it was nothing important while looking to the side. Well, if that wasn't a lie than Tsuna was hopelessly stupid. Still, he let the bomber go about his business and violently protect the bag by yelling at Haru when she tried to take it and place it with the presents after a short discussion with him, and then Takeshi arrived. Yamamoto-san drove his son over and helped transport both sushi and a series of tough, thickly rolled up bamboo mats standing skyward in a circle in a corner of the yard, and before leaving he gave Tsuna a hug and wished him a "great special day!" much to the latter's confusion. Bianchi arrived and as a favor to Tsuna, though he was briefly mystified as to why she would mention doing him a favor, she wore a stylish pair of goggles on her face. Others arrived and soon there were two piles of presents by the side.

When Reborn reappeared he had a normal Leon snoozing on his hat, and the party began with a few games set up courtesy of Bianchi's previous planning. Games such as an improvised shooting range, a table for arm-wrestling contests, and other physically demanding or difficult activities. Tsuna did not excel in most of them, especially the shooting game, and the one he actually did best in (to Reborn's surprise, and himself since he usually only did darts) was knife throwing. Once food and drink was consumed the baby started talking about Vongolian Birthdays and giving scores to presents or shows, and that the one with the lowest score dies. Tsuna had hung his head and half-seriously bid his life goodbye.

"Reborn, why is it that everything with you has to be so over the top it's like... almost physically repulsive to me?"

"Life isn't fun if I can't torment you." His student's face deadpanned. "Besides, it is the rule at every Vongolian Birthday and the one to die is at least given to Lady Luck in a game of Russian Roulette."

"Yep. That makes me feel so much better, thank you."

"Just so you know everyone secretly prepared for this. I hope you have something for me otherwise I have no choice but to shoot you."

"Hiiiee! I-I have something! It's just not... flashy."

"Ahaha, relax Tsuna! It's just a child's game, let's go along with it!"

"Yeah, Juudaime! It is a game, and I will gladly take your punishment if your gift is snubbed!"

Tsuna worried for the well-being of his both swordsman and smoker friends.

"Ahem. Since Yamamoto brought the delicious sushi he receives 80 points," said Reborn, nodding to the sword-wielder. "The scores will be posted on one of these Vongola boards. Mine is the first."

Tsuna kept his mouth shut and beyond thinking that there was a nefarious something going on, didn't question there being two boards.

"Haha! 80 points isn't so bad!"

"Hahi! Haru's turn!" The girl skipped over to the left pile of presents and tugged out a box before scurrying over and sitting before Reborn to pull out... "Haru asked Tsuna-kun what Reborn-chan would like best. He designed it and I made it!"

She removed a black suit with ebony and silver feathers on the shoulders and the elbows, and then a pair of flexible wings covered with more authentic feathers came out. Next was the black pants, and shoes modelled to look like a bird of prey's, and a mini scythe (fake kama) was removed second to last as she pulled out a demonic looking beaked mask. Reborn smirked at the sight of it and immediately dashed off to change into it, and taking that as his chance, Tsuna called over Piero and the cat settled happily into her human's lap. She allowed him to fit a loose white outfit around her, secured under a sort of saddle he then placed on her.

When Reborn returned Tsuna pointed at his cat with a crooked grin. "Your pale steed, _Morte_ -sama."*

Reborn outright chuckled at this reference and settled comfortably on the large cat's back before declaring Haru gets an 85 and Tsuna a 30. The others hurried to set up their presentations or gifts.

The hitman graciously thanked Kyoko for the heavily coffee flavored home-made candy, she got 70. Hana got a nod and a thanks for the horror-thriller flicks, she received a clean 50. Ryohei eagerly set up his 'station' off to the side and put metal slabs down and, with a noticeable yellow glow in his eyes, slammed his gloved fist down to break apart thirteen two inch thick metal slabs quite easily, he received 85. Gokudera set off a bunch of truly impressive fireworks that spoke of how he was intimately knowledgeable of chemicals and creating explosives and he received an 85 too. Lambo handed over a sloppily created clay gun painted green and recieved a five, thus making the Bovino panic and hide in Tsuna's sweater. Fuuta handed over a fairly well made cartoonish dragon of black and green and received a 70. For making most of the food Nana received a 90. Bianchi came and ruined a number of decorations (and sliced Tsuna's cheek) by performing 'authentic Italian pizza tossing', earning a 90 as well.

Lastly was Tsuna's gift and the boy was intensely reluctant to go and get the portfolio from the pile, but Reborn kicked him and he hurried. Lambo's spirit animal seemed to be a leech since he wasn't dislodged from his place clinging to Tsuna's undershirt. When the Decimo returned the black object was clutched nervously and he took a deep breath.

"Um, since I've never been good at much else, I... I decided to draw you something, Reborn."

He angled the portfolio in the direction of a lantern and then opened it with shaking hands. The surprise in Reborn's face was subtle as he dropped his half consumed coffee lolly to the grass and slowly approached. While Tsuna was inwardly terrified he was about to be shot, Reborn was wondering how on earth his semi-pitiful student could draw his previous likeness so... perfectly correct, down to the smirk and even Leon.

"Tsuna, how long did this take?"

The boy squeaked at how serious odd his tutor sounded. "I-it t-took a week, you know, when I w-wasn't sleeping properly?"

"Four hours of sleep a night. You messed up your sleep cycle for this?"

"Y-y-yes..."

"Believe it or not, Baka-Tsuna, this is exactly... how I imagine myself to look like one day. 95 points. That brings you to 125, congratulations, you get to sleep in next Sunday."

Tsuna bit his cheek and nodded with a stuttered thanks that turned into a yelp ("Thank y-AH!") when the demonic-costumed baby leaped forcefully onto his head. "Now, onto the second half of this party. Hana, if you would do the honor of fixing the banner."

The Rain girl smirked and headed over to the large cloth proudly displaying "HAPPY BIRTHDAY REBORN!" and yanked it off to reveal "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TSU-KUN!"

"Ah! Wh-what? It's my birthday? But isn't it-"

"Tomorrow, Juudaime!" Gokudera said, popping up beside his beloved boss. "It was Reborn-san's suggestion to make it a joint birthday party!"

Tsuna swayed slightly. How could he have forgotten his damn birthday again? He doesn't even have the excuse of training under Nobu, but then again Reborn is a class all his own despite not yet breaking any bones...

"Tsuna!" Takeshi wrapped an arm around the short Sky and grinned warmly. "Me first! I have something to show you!"

The baseball and sword fanatic cheerfully gestured to the gathered pole targets and then walked over to settle himself right in the middle of them. His stance was solid as he held a handsome blade in one hand, and the intense look that crossed his face had Tsuna swallowing hard and gripping his stomach at the strange, familiar butterflies twisting inside. In the next few seconds Takeshi had moved in a long blur and the eight targets fell to pieces, split multiple parts down the middle of each pole that brought to mind one of those chocolate oranges.

Tsuna's jaw was dropped along with several others. "Th-that's awesome, Takeshi! You're really cool!"

The swordsman blushed and rubbed the back of his head as he put away his blade. "Glad you think so! The whole reason I picked up the sword was for you!"

Ignoring the blush creeping over his own face, Tsuna coughed into his sweater-clothed forearm and turned to Reborn. "I think this calls for a... 90."

(Nana, watching her son glow from happiness, privately cheered for the wonderful friendships he had forged, and happily placed the friend-themed stickers on their appropriate places. The Sawada matriarch had to press a hand to her mouth to smother giggles as she saw Tsuna automatically support Lambo when the child, probably asleep, started slipping out from under his sweater.)

Gokudera stepped forward next and handed over the black and orange bag he had guarded on his person since before the start of the party. It was filled with differently colored balls of paper that Gokudera explained were like smoke bombs except they were chemical mixtures designed to either paralyze, incapacitate with poison that would not kill, but put people to sleep or paralyze them, and then there were plain smoke bombs for escape. All were color coded and organized meticulously. He even slipped two dozen dynamite colored orange with blue bands that he explained were specially sensitive to his Sky Flames (there, a nod to a smirking Reborn) and would detonate with a force equal to the amount of flames stored inside before throwing. Detonation is only possible with Flames of the Sky lighting it. The next object Gokudera pulled out was a dark red and thick cloth that fit around Tsuna's neck and stretched up to cover his mouth and nose as a mask much like Kakashi of Naruto. That alone had Tsuna grinning, and combined with how much work was obviously put into the gift, the Decimo couldn't help shyly giving the bomber a side hug (causing him to blush heavily) before declaring that he too received a 90 for his efforts.

Kyoko came forward with one of several bottles of plain green pills possessing a soft white glow and cheerfully explained that she had been experimenting with her Sun Flame and the effects it has on plants, boosting their natural health benefits and giving them an Activation effect to dramatically boost healing and energy when wounded or exhausted, and likewise physical capability was enhanced when in full health for up to 30 minutes. The girl then leaned forward to whisper that she accidentally made a new breed of rose-bush like dandelion that glows and it's the base plant for the pill. They taste great in salads. She explained that there were a few other herbs she combined to create the pill with Hana's help. Tsuna gave her a hug and happily declared another 90. Hana had Kyoko assist her in growing certain plants with a powerful Tranquillity property, then she combined Sun and mainly Rain-enhanced Lemon Balm and Valerian to create a powerful tranquillizer, and she in turn asked Reborn and Bianchi if they could help her acquire 'injection needles for throwing', and voila. Something that will put down any pesky bastards he doesn't want to waste energy on. Hana received a hug and a 90 as well.

(Privately Reborn thought Tsuna was too easy with the points, but his _Famiglia_ did put significantly more effort into his gifts than for the little hitman. Not something he was used to, which actually amused the Arcobaleno.)

Ryohei, to Tsuna's (and most others) great surprise, gave the Sky a palm sized _book_ , one called The Art of War by Sun Tzu, a Chinese military general. He admitted to having help picking out something Tsuna would like. The Decimo gave his brother a 70. Tsuna undid his sweater and pulled out the sleepy little Bovino and when he asked if he had something to hand over, Lambo gleefully ran to the pile of presents and came back with a sloppily wrapped object with a folded letter taped to it it. Inside was a malformed cat painted to slightly resemble Piero, and the letter written in crayon...

 _"Fuuta-nii gets to call Tsuna papa! From now on Tsuna is the great Lambo-san's papa too!"_

Tsuna blinked and stared for a long moment before he started (LAUGHING, he's too cool to giggle!) and hugged the little Bovino close. "No problem, you're my kid too Lambo-kun."

"Gyahaha! See, Fuuta-nii, I knew papa would agree!"

The young de la Stella giggled and said nothing since he had repeatedly said that his papa would agree. Off to the side Reborn was rubbing his forehead and wondering where his life went wrong. Oh, that's right, when he offered his services to the desperate and powerful ally of the Vongola, the Chiavarone. That just opened the way for the old fool to push Tsuna on him, and, no, Reborn did not regret taking on the promising young Sky as his student. That habit of taking in children? Shudder. Thinking somewhat similarly, Hana came down with hives and ran inside to put ice packs on her irritated skin and grudgingly admitted that the little nightmare wasn't as bad with Fuuta and Tsuna influencing him.

(Lambo, no longer fearing Reborn shooting him, ran off to play with Piero and ride around on her back.)

Bianchi came forward and tossed Tsuna a medium sized wooden box that contained laminated, pink and purple little cards with the words "PUT ON FACE-WEAR COUPON" in colorful letters. Tsuna laughed and thanked her with a wide grin and the older woman messed with his hair before going off to huggle a blank faced Reborn.

Lastly the hitman left Bianchi's arms and came forward with a box that he threw hard enough at Tsuna to make him land on his back with a yelp of surprise. He sat up, face twitchy and deadpan with irritation, and he wordlessly tore off the orange silk ribbon wrapped around it. Inside lay a pair of silky looking thick black gloves with silver fingers and white-metal X27's on the back. Tsuna grinned and thanked Reborn happily, as he was certain the hitman wouldn't hand over something frivolously pretty that can't pack a devastating wallop.

"Put it on and summon your Flames, Baka-Tsuna, and check how well they work with you."

Eagerly Tsuna pulled on both gloves and found that they fit very comfortably. Since the silky-soft material stretched it was probably ridiculously expensive. Drawing on a good amount of his Sky alone, which was difficult enough to make him frown and sweat as he had no adrenaline to facilitate the use, in a few seconds the gloves were ablaze and filling the backyard with enough light to scare Piero, who hissed and ducked under the food tables, knocking a startled Lambo off of her. More than the brilliant purity of the Flame, what awed Tsuna was how the gloves transformed into black and silver colored flexible scale-armored gauntlets with a gold X's on the back of his hands.

"Wicked," Tsuna said, voice soft with wonder. "This... is beyond incredible, and they feel better than the tonfa..."

"They can be your secondary weapons, or you can combine use of them." Reborn paused and eyed the starry sky. "I'm sure I can call on a few contacts to improve the weapons Iemitsu gave you."

Tsuna perked up and Reborn knew that the boy would be more than happy to stop using the, admittedly attractive _and_ perfectly functional, weapons and accept whatever Reborn would give him  because it would be from him. Somehow the infant had managed to worm his way into his students heart and he found he didn't mind much, it made training him, and spending time with the boy, that much tolerable.

The rest of Tsuna's half of the party consisted of watching Miyazaki films (Castle in the Sky. Princess Mononoke. And lastly, Ponyo). Reborn and Bianchi left rather than watch such childish films, but Tsuna was simply happy being able to enjoy something with his friends. The overall favorites were Princess Mononoke and Ponyo.

 **. . .**

The day after the joint birthday party another unscheduled spar with the Demon of Namimori Middle ended most unexpectedly.

The fight was exhausting and to Tsuna's secret joy Hibari appeared slightly winded and was sweaty as he, standing with his tonfa put away, staring almost thoughtfully down at the sprawled out boy's panting, red-faced form. Tsuna even had a satisfied little smile on his tired face as he looked up at the Cloud with eyes full of trust. In a short moment Tsuna squeaked as Hibari swiftly knelt and pretty much sat on his smaller form with a truly devious smirk that sent the boy's heart skipping and speeding up.

"Um... H-Hibari-senpai... wha-what are you doing?" A pinch between his brows showed Tsuna's concern but he didn't fight. "D-don't go crazy on me again..."

Hibari snorted at his little carnivore's submissiveness and was privately pleased by it as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small familiar box. Tsuna indulges in sweets without his cubs tagging along and the bittersweet dark treat with the velvety green tea flavored chocolate inside made the Decimo feel all melty when eating it. Seeing Hibari open the box and put one plain, round truffle in his own mouth made Tsuna pout automatically. This pout disappeared when Hibari easily gathered the slight Sky's dainty wrists in one hand and rendered him helpless once more, and in place of the pout was red-faced alarm and the light of excitement in those warm and shocked honey eyes.

"H-Hibari, what are you d-doing...?"

The prefect twisted his tongue around the treat he found himself liking the confection that was soft from being inside his pocket for the better part of two hours. He deemed it more than melted enough so he dipped down to kiss his Anaguma's open mouth. Tsuna meeped and automatically turned his head, face red and his breathing far more erratic, but as there was no fear coming off of him and this hard-to-get action only encouraged the Cloud as he turned the boy's face with almost gentle fingers and melded his lips to the soft, almost effeminate ones of his sparring partner. Tsuna moaned and shuddered as the chocolate on Hibari's tongue invaded his mouth and set his taste-buds and blood on fire.

Hibari's 'attack' did not end there. Once the chocolate was done and he treated the younger male to a tongue kiss, he moved slowly, ready to back off if Tsuna displayed signs of fear. He dragged his lips along the short Sky's neck and discovered that the teen was either especially sensitive there or he was sensitive to the prefect's touch, and the Cloud rather liked that second theory as he pulled back after Tsuna's fifth shuddered moan or squeak when the older boy used teeth. Hibari placed the little box of previously four chocolates on the grass and plucked another one out which Tsuna eyed with greedy hope and not for a kiss. It wasn't more than once a month the boy indulged in his personal sweets. Amused, Hibari shook his head and proceeded to drag the melting chocolate down his prey's neck, smearing the feverish flesh with sweetness and pulling a yelp.

"Hey! Ch-chocolate isn't meant for body art! It's meant for eating!"

A smirk was the only answer Tsuna recieved as the prefect continued dragging the confection along his flesh before observing the chocolate melting in his palm, and then he popped the dripping treat into his mouth, followed by him licking his lips. Tsuna's mouth was dry and his heart raced as he watched Hibari, hardly able to believe this, whatever it happened to be, was even happening with the prefect of all people. The Sky assumed that the last, ah, incident was an experiment and that the Cloud had moved right on.

Hibari eyed the chocolate staining his digits and palm, then slid a speculative look to Tsuna's flushed and nervous face. When the prefect pressed two fingers to Tsuna's lips he raised an eyebrow that the boy interpreted as "Are you going to waste your favorite sweet?" and he swiped one finger across Tsuna's lower lip. A shiver rolled over the Decimo as he stomped on the desire to actually open his stupid mouth and, hell, why he was even contemplating allowing this... thing to continue?

... Oh, right. He, like a suicidal _rabbit_ curiously hopping around the favorite hunting grounds of a bird of prey, just can't help coming back because he has some mutated emotional-thing for the Cloud user.

Tsuna squeaked when Hibari reached for the little box of chocolate and as he sort-of-feared what else the perverted upperclassman was planning, he opened his mouth and poked his tongue out to brush over the chocolate stained fingers that slid a little ways in. Tsuna looked to the side settled on a staring a hole through the milk weed to his left as he closed his mouth over the two fingers. He continued licking and gently sucking at the lingering sweetness, unaware of the picture he presented or the affect he was having on the prefect above. Had he been watching, well, it's unlikely that he would have caught how Hibari's pupils dilated and he swallowed heavily. From all the times he's forgotten to put any chocolate in the fridge Tsuna was actually quite thorough in getting the chocolate off of Hibari's hand, as his tongue easily sought the sweetness that had dripped down between the prefect's fingers and over his palm.

Honestly, Tsuna was a really messy eater when it came to his chocolates. His thoroughness can be blamed on that.

When Hibari pulled his clean hand away Tsuna was squirming slightly and quite dark in the face as he kept his gaze square on the milkweed. He felt... funny would be a good word. He wasn't sure he could adequately describe the fuzzy warmth in his belly or the desire to kiss the older boy above him, and kiss of his own volition. Would Hibari mind that? He seems to be the dominant type... Probably wouldn't appreciate it. At all.

Right then Hibari's warm, slick tongue lapped up the melted chocolate from Tsuna's neck and the Sky-user shuddered and bit his lip to quiet his moans. Hibari slid the hand Tsuna licked beneath the boys shirt and splayed his hand across his stomach, drawing a meep from the boy. Tsuna started squirming slightly, confused by the uncomfortable feeling in his pants*. Hibari took some sadistic delight in teasing the Sky-user and dragged his hand along sensitive flesh to lightly pinch his Sky's hip, eliciting a strangled yelp and strained red face.

Having had his amusement and given Tsuna a 'birthday present', he stopped the torture just as it seemed Tsuna was nearing his limit. That evening Tsuna went to bed confused and feeling a bit dirty for enjoying Hibari's attention so much. Especially since the prefect ditched him in mountain hours away from Namimori after getting an emergency call from one of the Disciplinary Committee members.

 **o o o**

Over the next three weeks Tsuna, like after The Kidnapping Incident when Iemitsu visited, noticed that his friends were more tired than normal and had more scratches, bruises and bandages. The signs of more than strenuous training were too much to let be this time and he wouldn't be placated by their reassurances. He called them all over for a movie night and asked them to bring DVDs of what they wanted to see, and once everyone was seated in the living room with popcorn and various snacks Tsuna popped the first DVD in (Ryohei's choice, an American action film with subtitles called Red) and turned to the room.

His friends, minus Hibari who he would never bother asking to come over to watch a movie with a bunch of herbivores, were scattered around the room. Takeshi sat on the couch beside a goggles-sporting Bianchi and on the other side of the big bowl of snacks where Tsuna would sit was Gokudera. Hana had comfortably perched on the sofa arm beside the bomber, and the Sasegawa siblings were seated on the floor together. Fuuta and Lambo were out at the park with his madre so he didn't have to worry about them seeing anything extreme yet.

Reborn and Bianchi were the only ones who noticed the difference in Tsuna's demeanor as looked each and every friend in the face. Reborn and Poison Cook shared knowing looks as the boy's Famiglia sat straighter where they were, even sweet and semi-oblivious Kyoko and thick-headed Ryohei.

"I understand that I have no control over you all, and I would never dream of having it. I just..." Tsuna's firm face fell slightly as he took in the butterfly bandage holding together a cut on Hana's cheek, and the vertical stitches over Takeshi's left eyebrow. "I'd like you all to tell me if you need anything. Food, pain medicine, an ear to complain to... I can see how hard you're working," he said, not having to force a warm, if slightly sad smile. "And I'm really proud of you, but please rely on me more."

He withheld his last thoughts of, "Even if I'm not much to work with."*

Gokudera literally leap-frogged over Ryohei ("GAH! Not extreme, octopus-head!") and knelt in front of him with imploring, unintentional puppy-eyes. "I'm sorry, Juudaime! Reborn trains you into the ground so often, I didn't want to burden you!"

Takeshi got up and wrapped an arm around the short Sky with a pinched grin. "Sorry about that. I've got my dad fixing me up, so don't worry! If you want, though, you could come cheer me on when I'm training! I'm sure I'll do even better on those days, ahaha!"

With that Tsuna found himself dragged over to sit between the Storm and Rain while Reborn had Leon turn into a remote to get the movie started. As the beginning played Tsuna heard whispered apologies from a sheepish Hana who said she should have known better than to hide it, from Kyoko who promised to rely on him more, and a louder EXTREME apology from the older sunny airhead. It didn't need to be said, but Tsuna suspected Reborn to have put them all under a training program. When he caught the infants eye he glanced around the room and rose a questioning eyebrow, to which the hitman nodded. The future head of the Vongola sighed and slumped against the couch. As much as he didn't like it, the choice to train under Reborn's guidance was theirs alone. It would never be his place to order them around.

Since it was out of his hands he would simply have to support them as best he could.

* * *

 **HOW TSUNA'S PACK BECAME A PRIDE (in later chapters)**

On a day when everyone but Kyoko was busy with something, she came over to keep him company and help watch the kids. She and the young Decimo were sitting on the back porch side by side and watching Fuuta pretend to be a dragon chasing warrior prince Lambo who had a foam sword.

Kyoko had a thought and hugged Tsuna's arm suddenly. Her smile was adorable and warm and, of course, Tsuna braced himself in case she had something particularly way-out-there to say. She and Ryohei could be so alike sometimes...

"Tsuna-kun! I just remembered something. Hibari-san is wrong about us being a pack!"

Though blushing at the contact, Tsuna relaxed when it was apparent that Kyoko wasn't going to say something too weird. And compared to other things he's done and seen since training under Nobu and Reborn? This is as tame as a fluffy marshmallow.

"Oh, why do you say that?"

"Hana-chan calls you lion-monkey, Tsuna-kun, and I agree. You're much more like a lion than a wolf! And lion's have prides instead of packs. You're like the alpha male! And Hibari-san is your partner alpha, which would make your pride a coalition in actuality!"

"Heh?" Tsuna was very confused. He didn't quite catch what she called Hibari, wait for it.

Kyoko giggled and reached up to playfully poke his nose. "I read up on lion's, Tsuna-kun. Lion prides ruled by two males are called coalitions. Hibari is your alpha partner, so the your Famiglia is sort of like a coalition right now."

"Oh... s-so, let me get this..." Tsuna's cheeks reddened further at Hibari being called his _partner_ even in the innocent way and voice that Kyoko did. "Prides are to lions what packs are to wolves? And I'd be the, uh, alpha male but with Hibari-san it becomes a coalition because... he sort of leads the pride with me?"

"Yep!" Kyoko turned her warm eyes on Lambo and Fuuta, then she laid her head on his shoulder like she did it all the time. Which was so not the case. "And they're our cubs, Tsuna-kun. The pride, or coalition, takes care of the cubs together to raise them right. At least ours will."

Tsuna liked that happy, glowing look on his friend. That she sincerely cared for the well-being of the kids made him want to snuggle with her as they kept a sharp eye on Lambo so he didn't pull out a bomb swiped from Gokudera. As it is, she was snuggling him and he wasn't sure if it was right at all, but...

Yeah, screw that.

Tsuna bit his lip and tentatively rested his cheek on Kyoko's head. When all she did was giggle and give his arm a gentle squeeze he relaxed and enjoyed Kyoko's warmth and her peaches-n-vanilla perfume.

* * *

 **Aaand there we go with the omake! And look! A sprinkling of cotton candy 2795. I wasn't expecting that when I wrote this one, but there you go! A bonus. :) As for mentioning of prides/coalitions, the terms might appear later on. Readers who like the omake can thank** _ **Littlest1**_ **for inspiring me. ALSO... sorry for the kinda-short chapter.**

 *** Leon and the X27 Gloves: Creative liberty. It's not because I wrote ahead before refreshing my memory by reading over the manga, thus forgetting that Leon makes Tsuna's gloves during the Kokuyo Arc. Nope, totally not the reason.** **:D**

 *** Haru's Present and Tsuna's Joke: Essentially Tsuna called his tutor the horseman of death. :D**

 ***** **As for the chocolate licking finger thing... yeah. It just, uh, it happened and, yeah, um... I'MSONOTSORRYINTHELEAST! Ahem.**

 ***Pants: Um, yeeeaeah... I'm not really one for writing lemons (descriptive sex) myself but I'm getting better, as in I get farther before I can't write anymore. A friend of mine keeps telling me I have to push through that mental block if I want to be a writer. IT'S JUST SO DIFFICULT** **to put characters into situations like that. It's doubly awkward trying to put into words what my warped, perverted brain imagines up.**

 *** Tsuna will always be humble. It's part of his character, but he _will_ gain more confidence in himself as time goes on. He will also revert now and again, but he's only human after all.**


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**FIRST: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, put this on watch, favorites, or happened to put me on follows. I need to start hopping on hotmail more often. Now I know I usually put in a list, but there wasn't enough time so I'll add the usual list in chapter 14.**

 **SECOND: I should** **really** **mention now that however much it might look like I plan out my chapters, I... sort of do, if lists of bullet points and really vague and by-the-seat-of-my-pants 'plans' count.**

 **THIRD: 1827 is prevalent in this story so far, I know. I'm** _ **kiinda**_ **sorry about that since I'm not being fair to readers who aren't fond of Hibari or really want more with the other characters. Beyond chapter 12 there isn't much blatant romance-wise, it's mainly bonding (but that, like with most things, is subject to character development and circumstance). There are hints here and there, however, and characters begin to acknowledge that they care for Tsuna in a more-than-friendly way. For the most part this story is about the growth of Tsuna and the rest of his group. TSUNA'S acknowledging of his friends feelings for him, well, I picture him as preferring denial toward drama and possibly breaking hearts (his or others). The Kokuyo Arc marks when Tsuna will begin to ease himself into the idea that he is what at least some of his friends (to his knowledge) want.**

 **FOURTH: +Anima. I'm a big fan of it. Love the concepts even though certain things weren't expanded on (like Blanca, and a certain researcher I wanted to throw in a wood chipper). Loved the characters too, all were really cute. So. I was, and still am, consumed by the character I've created and begun rebuilding. Started out as a snake, which was original by my guesstimations, but making her family in detail lead to her inheriting an Anima from her grandmother... So much complicated, but I love her. Ahem. THIS is why I was so distracted and did not get this out yesterday, and it is also why this chapter my not be up to my usual "stunning" quality (for anyone out there worrying, _yes_ , that was sarcasm). I'm really, **_**really**_ **sorry!**

* * *

 ** _"The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance." ~ Nathaniel Branden._**

* * *

The week started off strange but at least it was interesting.

It began with the arrival of a tiny Chinese kid his Intuition told him was a little girl. She saved him from the massive doberman that had mutilated his arm when he was younger, and in return he offered to buy her a candy at the store before he had to run to school. She happily took the reward and later he had to dodge some truly horrible mysterious attacks from her that came in the form of smelly air-punches that could curl the nose hairs of the dead, but then Hibari's appearance caused her to enter a strange trance that Tsuna panicked over until Reborn plainly said she'd blow up the school when she reached zero on her countdown, then he yelped and used considerable Sky-Lightning enhanced strength to toss her straight up. The light show was spectacular, and she landed feet first on his head when he tried catching her.

Ignoring the raging pain on the crown of his head, Tsuna picked up the dizzy kid and smiled at her as he invited her to sleep over at his house. His madre loved having people over and always made a lot of food, so having her there would be no problem. I-Pin was her name and the girl accepted this with a bow she jumped to the ground to perform.

The next day was chaos from the get go, especially after his mother sheepishly left him to look after the kids so she could go to a piano recital with friends. At least Tsuna had Fuuta there to help soothe I-Pin and chase the mischievous Lambo out of the kitchen so Tsuna could convince I-Pin, once and for all, that Lambo is not a Broccoli Monster since they are not real, but if he keeps trying to scare her come tell him and he'll put the boy in a time out. Five minutes later Tsuna had Lambo tied up and seated in, as well as facing, a corner with the threat of having all his candy thrown out if he so much as turns around. I-Pin had brought a book to Tsuna and Fuuta and the both of them were trying to teach her some Japanese, much to Reborn's obvious amusement. This is when Gokudera and Takeshi came to visit, all to do artsy homework together, and the Storm Guardian was not having an easy time of it.

Since gathering in his room and trusting Fuuta to watch the children ten minutes ago, Tsuna and Takeshi had quietly worked with their clay while not making it obvious that they were observing the bomber grow more frustrated.

"Um... Gokudera-kun, would you like some help? I-I could help..."

The bomber looked ecstatic. "Juudaime! I would be honored! But I don't think I can accept too much help, you know? It's supposed to my project, I wouldn't want anyone somehow blaming you for me cheating!"

"The teacher's instructions were that you had to use the clay... either as the sole material for your subject or as a part of it..." The Decimo grinned as an idea hit him. "You could make the Mt. Fuji out of cardboard and spread the clay over and add texture with a pencil or make something better."

Gokudera looked up hopefully. "Really? You're a genius, Juudaime!"

Cue red and embarrassed face.

"Er, s-so, you keep working on that, 'kay? I'm going to clear my desk so you can work over there without total distraction from Takeshi and I." Gokudera looked like a happy puppy without the ears and tail, and Tsuna pretended his face did not increase in heat as he quickly cleared his desk cluttered with notebooks, sketchbooks and scattered eraser bits. "There! I'll get you some stuff to use, so you should try sketching out exactly what you want the project to look like!"

As Gokudera stood and sat at the desk with a pink face and notebook in hand to doodle his idea, Takeshi had a little grin on his face since he figured it would come to this. Tsuna had been eyeing Gokudera's increasingly frustrated efforts with concern, and the guy could be so thoughtful. He watched the young Sky leave to fetch materials and threw a paper ball at Gokudera. With Reborn off doing who knows what elsewhere it was a good time to say something.

"Hey, Gokudera, could I ask you something?"

"What, sword-freak?" Gokudera did not look away from his paper and pen.

"You like Tsuna too, right?"

There was a distinct ripping sound and Gokudera crumpled his ruined page and chucked it at Takeshi with accuracy, but the boy only caught it with a grin.

"You bastard, what are you insinuating?" Gokudera was ready to throw pencils at the swordsman and not his bombs only because he was in his Juudaime's room. "I am nothing more than a loyal subordinate who will lay down his life for the Juudaime, I'm not some pervert!"

Takeshi tilted his head with a confused smile. "It's okay if you like him, Gokudera. And you're not a subordinate, you're Tsuna's friend first! He'd be really sad if he heard you talk like that."

The Storm flinched slightly and bared his teeth despite believing that last to certainly be true. "Doesn't change the fact that I'm not a pervert..." A jolt ran through him and he stood up to stalk toward the seated Rain and loom. "If you hurt the Juudaime I will take great pleasure in blowing you up, you pervy sword-freak."

Takeshi lost the usually constant little smile and stood to loom better by dint of being taller. "If I hurt Tsuna then I expect you to hurt me in return because he's not the type to get back at his friends. And the same goes for me; make Tsuna bleed and I won't be such a nice guy to you."

A silent stare-down followed before Tsuna's footsteps came up the stairs and the two Guardians resumed their previous positions with nods of dual agreement because Gokudera wanted the favor repaid if he, for Kami knows what reason, ever, _ever_ hurt the boss.

Tsuna entered his room with Reborn sitting on his head and froze at the strange atmosphere. Nothing looked different, from their positions to their body language, but there was something plucking gently at his Intuition. He exchanged a look with Reborn and the baby shrugged, so Tsuna set down a cloth bag of snacks by his low table and handed Gokudera tough construction paper, lengths of cardboard, glue, and a plastic cup full of little art stuff to give Mt. Fuji texture and color. The Storm looked gobsmacked and his jaw was dropped, so Tsuna snickered and used a soft touch to close his mouth with a smile.

"If you take your time I know you'll make it really good, Gokudera-kun!"

Takeshi grinned as he watched the Storm's face go quite red as he stuttered and grinned a thanks before diving into the work. Tsuna had a smile on his face as he sat and pulled out the packaged snacks he brought. When he looked up and saw Takeshi looking sunnier than usual considering he was doomed to deal with maths as soon as he finished the creative project, he decided to ignore the oddness. His Intuition wasn't saying anything bad or good so it wasn't anything to worry about, right?

With Reborn perched on his shoulder and slapping him with Leon-ruler every time he made a mistake in molding his clay to look like a lion with with careful movements and simple wooden tools, Tsuna expected the evening to be as quiet and peaceful as possible even with Lambo out of his corner and with Fuuta watching over the two kids while papa and his uncles did homework. Unfortunately it couldn't stay peaceful because as he was detailing the mane he heard a question that he had been worrying over for a while now.

"Juudaime, may I be your Right Hand man?"

Tsuna swallowed hard and slowly looked up from his sculpture to see Gokudera twisted in the chair and half exposing the complicated mountain he had made from tape, a toilet roll from the recycling, glue, and carefully cut cardboard. It looked promising so far and he had faith in Gokudera's work when the bomber was keeping a level head. The Storm had a serious expression devoid of vexation or expectation, he was ready to accept whatever his answer may be.

"Um..." What was he supposed to say!? Choosing anyone at this point could cause strife, he was certain of that. Did he really have to choose a Right Hand? Couldn't he just rely on everyone?

"What about me, Tsuna? I've been pretty good about this Mafia Game, right?" Takeshi laughed softly but the look on his face, coupled with a slight smile, was no less serious. "I think I'd make a good Right Hand too. I've got sharp senses."

Tsuna turned to Reborn and the baby was smirking! Smirking, damn it! How helpful.

"Um, y-you see..."

His bedroom door slammed open ("Papa, papa! Lambo-san wants to play!") and he barely held in the sigh of relief as he deftly scooped up Lambo and caught I-Pin by the back of her shirt with one finger, keeping the both of them from ruining his and Takeshi's clay sculptures (with the later being a baseball bat and a tanto).

"Lambo, I-Pin, you could have ruined our hard work, and do you know what that would mean for you? I-Pin as well, since you're staying for a while you're subject to the same rules as him."

A string of Chinese followed and Reborn helpfully translated: "She says: It means appropriate punishment for misbehavior, Tsuna. I'm sorry for chasing Lambo."

Tsuna shifted so he held both the kids in his arms and sheepishly nodded at a grinning Takeshi and an irritated Gokudera before leaving the room and coming face to face with a worried Fuuta.

"Papa! I'm sorry, they're both so fast!"

"It's fine, it's fine ! Lambo and I-Pin know they'll have time-outs in their own corners if they behave too badly. Let's set them up with some play-dough and paint."

"Okay, I'll help you get Lambo-kun into the bath later!"

When Tsuna returned to the room he swallowed his nerves and stuttered lightly through saying that he wasn't ready to choose one person to trust with anything and everything, and not because he _didn't_ trust anyone. How could he choose one friend over the rest when he knew they were all perfectly reliable? Contrary to what he expected (well, he was right about Takeshi laughing it off) both had no problem with that. Gokudera starry-eyed and promised Tsuna he wouldn't break his trust, not if he really had the same amount of faith in him as the rest of his group.

Later that night Reborn had surprised Tsuna by asking him why he trusted Gokudera just as much as the rest. Put into words it seemed silly to the Decimo, but he had always trusted his instincts and they said that Gokudera was just as trustworthy as his friends. The same loyalty, if more bold about it at times. Reborn told his student to keep following what those Vongola instincts tell him because they could save his and other's lives someday. Just don't get a big head about it. Tsuna promised since he wasn't one to be arrogant or a show-off.

Concerning one little Chinese girl, two days became two weeks and it seemed I-Pin had become a permanent fixture in the Sawada household like Lambo. Reborn later informed Tsuna that the girl had gotten permission from her master and legal guardian to stay with Tsuna and his _Famiglia_.

 **. . .**

An interesting week of strenuous training passed. Reborn called in a favor with a 'friend' that went by the name of Fon. This 'friend' being an infant with a red pacifier had Tsuna worried for his health, but the small martial artist had an adorable monkey named Lichi who liked to ride in Tsuna's hair during the times he trained with Fon. Somehow that made things a lot more bearable.

I-Pin was ecstatic and turned out to be the protege of the 'infant' martial arts master and spent an hour chatting in rapid Chinese and pointing at Tsuna now and again and making attack moves mimicking what he performed with Hibari. Fon and Reborn got along well enough, as neither was at each others throats or argued much, but there was occasionally this edge to the air between them and Tsuna got the feeling that there was a lot of history there, good and bad.

Tsuna thought to ask about Nobu, thought to text and try to call the flamboyant oddball some more, but there was that twisted part of himself that thought the worst and it hurt more than he was willing to say. If Nobu really had abandoned him at the first chance to give up teaching such a No-Good loser, if Nobu really left him behind, Tsuna knew he'd be more than a little broken. Fortunately it was an issue still up in the air and until Nobu told him to his face that he was No-Good to teach he wouldn't let his insecurities do much more than sting. He had to be better than that. Nobu wasn't Iemitsu.

Studying under an MA teacher barely 1'3" in height was a challenge at first as Tsuna had to adjust to sparring with Fon before learning. Fortunately with Sky-Lightning enhancing his brain the Decimo adjusted quickly enough to keep the Leon-jig to only twice that week.

Tsuna asked Reborn why he called in Fon. The reason was that while Reborn can continue sharpening Tsuna's reflexes, reaction time, speed, and strength, he couldn't do much to improve on the martial arts aspect of his training before the hitman's arrival. Reborn had master skill in Krav Maga, Aikido and Jiu-Jitsu, three arts that Tsuna had down more than competently, so the clear choice was another top-notch martial artist he could trust to give the future Decimo the best. Before Tsuna could ask about Nobu Reborn said that Nobu was busy with something.

Meaning he was in contact and completely ignoring the student he had promised to keep tormenting until he took the title of World's Third Strongest martial artist.

That just made the young future boss feel _wonderful_.

 **. . .**

It was a Friday evening and the sun was setting. Fon was letting Tsuna rest for 30 minutes with an indulgent protein and fat rich snack made of chocolate, nuts, and other stuff making it delicious, especially with milk. He and his protege were in a farther corner of the spacious Sawada backyard and training quite diligently. Both tiny fighters were blurs and it was interesting to watch. With his tutor using his fluffy hair as a seat again he decided to voice a question.

"Nobu's alive, right? You wouldn't hide that from me."

Reborn jumped down to the veranda and gave Tsuna a deadpan look creepy by default. "Don't be so stupid."

"Right. I had to ask. But is... is there a reason he's been away for so long?"

"Yes. I asked him to step back and let me take over training for a while, but now he's busy with two other projects and suggested Fon when I told him to come back and train you."

"Ah. Tell him I'm breaking his nose next time I see him. He hasn't answered texts, messages or phone calls, and it's... it's really been bothering me, him being away like this. I used to train with him every day of every week... I miss him."

Reborn had an odd look on his face. "Describe how you feel when you think about him being away, now."

"Uh... it kinda feels like there's something missing, even when I'm not thinking about him. Why?"

The hitman petted Leon. "You have Guardians in Yamamoto, Gokudera, Ryohei, Hibari, and Hana, and that includes Kyoko. If any one of them disappeared for a prolonged time you would feel the same thing."

Tsuna frowned and touched his chest. More and more he was feeling the so-called bonds between him and his _Famiglia's_ Flames. It was a soft presence, always there but difficult to sense without an hour of meditation. There were fourteen connections in all, and only one felt lukewarm and soft as a gentle breeze- Mist. His mother?

"I see... um... is it possible to form a... you called it Harmonization before, right?" Slightest nod from infant. "Is it possible to form one with my mother?"

Reborn blinked, frowned and then nodded. "When a Sky is born to a parent with active Flames of different type, or when parents awaken a mismatching Flame of the Sky, it can happen. If your mother ever had a Harmony with Iemitsu's Sky then she probably broke it herself, whether consciously or not, and Harmonized with you. He would have felt the break if it was sudden, so maybe mamma was a real Mist and subconsciously hid the break. He's not the sharpest tool after all, but you know that very well."

The infant's eyes then narrowed as he looked at the tree across the wide back yard. "Although, he'll visit again, and probably at an inconvenient time. If there was ever a connection then he'll notice it being broken when he touches her. He may be able to disrupt the Harmony, and this would hurt your mother just as much as you, and damage her ability to use her Mist. It's considered inhumane to force a Guardian bond to break. It's started a number of bloody fights in the Vongola's history."

Tsuna had at first been stuck on how his mother was a 'Guardian' too, and then his head caught up with the last of what Reborn said and his entire demeanor changed. A wave of Sky pulsed in time with his sudden anger and racing heart and it coiled around him in a slightly visible aura, but it did not go any farther. Still, Fon and I-Pin stopped their fight to look over when they sensed something akin to blood lust. "He's a silly, stupid man that would try to do just that if he believed he'd lost her. I'm sure of it."

Reborn frowned and jumped onto his students shoulder and yanked on a hair, bringing the boy back to himself. "Iemitsu is strong, no doubt, but against the world's greatest hitman, the world's greatest martial artist, and an anger fueled you, he'll have to be suicidal."

Tsuna paused, halting the protest that nearly left his lips at being included with him and Fon, but experience has taught him that being 'stupidly modest' brings a ruler to the cheek or a Leon-ball flying at his forehead. He bit his tongue and nodded, then released the white knuckled-grip he had on his training outfit. Distracting himself, he began meditating with Sky and Lightning to separate energies into one hand and the other. Five minutes later, while Reborn was off terrorizing someone or making big insects do his bidding, he sensed more than heard Fon approach with I-Pin trailing behind.

"What bothers you, _Xuéshēng_ _[student]_?"

"I... I have no faith in my father, but that's not bothering me right now." Tsuna gently flared his Sky and Lightning one after the other in time with his heartbeat. "With his absence he hurts my madre and he's been gone for eight years. He appeared once when I was twelve, which is suspicious enough considering my friends were kidnapped then... And he..." There was guilt and anger warring in Tsuna. A childish part of him felt bad for accusing his father and at the same time he felt completely justified in assuming the worst. He couldn't look Fon in the eyes. "That man isn't worthy of my madre, and I'm scared he would... get too upset if he learned he isn't the Sky that she's Harmonized with."

"Skies can be quite territorial, whether they are consciously aware of it or not." Fon spoke in a neutral and calm voice, but anyone with Reborn's ability to read others, or a Vongola Intuition, could tune into the displeasure that the Storm Arcobaleno felt. "As pitiful as it may be, given that you were but a child when, presumably, your power first manifested and was soon after sealed-," Fon held up one tiny hand, staying questions. "Reborn told me about you so I could be prepared. Now... your father may have experienced _Sky_ Dissonance, which is when two Skies fail to Synchronize on any level, and instead the stronger force tries to kill the weaker. It applies to other Flames as well, but Skies tend to be more vicious."

Tsuna's heart stuttered and his two flames died in his trembling hands. His father might have disappeared because he felt that Dissonance? Did he know? Either Iemitsu left with full intentions to preserve Tsuna's life, or he drove himself away on pure instinct. The reason only partly mattered, all that really stood out in his mind was the cold of Intuition that said he would probably have to fight his No-Good father at some point. Knowing his luck Iemitsu would be 50 times as strong as Hibari the demi-human, and as strong as Reborn. He'd die, Tsuna the loser, the Health Hazard and most looked down upon student in all of Namimori Chuu history, would die at the hands of his own father depending on circumstances.

"Tsuna!" Fon jumped to his students shoulder and slapped the boy, drawing watery and terrified hazel eyes on him. The Storm Arcobaleno tried to instill as much firm belief in his voice as he could. His small hand, warm and steady on the boy's cheek, calmed Tsuna most. "You and your mother will be safe. Reborn and I will not let him hurt you or her. As strong as you are, and as mature as you can be, you are still a child that will not be killed under our watch. They will pay most dearly if they try."

For someone with difficulty placing trust in others easily, it was almost disturbing how natural it felt to believe in Fon, to the point where he knew tiny martial artist would go through with it. Tsuna swallowed hard and nodded with a soft thanks, then summoned Sky to his shaking hands to concentrate on twisting the amber flames into a coil. I-Pin sat and watched this, smiling and clapping whenever the thick 'rope' of Sky reached farther than four feet, and for the next few minutes until a thought that had been nagging at Tsuna demanded to be asked.

"What do you mean by Synchronize? I mean, it's probably different from Harmonizing with different Flames, but..."

"The Sky is a mysterious Flame, as you will discover for yourself, I'm sure. Compatible Skies will form something like the Harmony only... I hear it is different for each pair of Skies, just as Harmony's tend to be different from one and another. From my research I found that often it is like a spiritual balance, or a kind of understanding born from some exchange that occurs when two Skies actively share their Flames."

"Thank you, Fon-sensei, I think I understand a little... but I have another question. Could Sky Flames mimic properties from another Flame? Like... like Sun for healing?"

Fon offered a serene smile. "Of course. Skies connect with the six other Flames because you could say that Sky is a complete and natural combination between the six that results in the mysterious power to Harmonize with the rest, and which enables skilled, or gifted, Skies to adjust the properties and appearance of your Flames. Most who have the ability come into it through trauma, and regardless of the how, it takes serious dedication to master Resonance with the other six Flames."

"What about my Sky-Lightning Flame? When I was first shot with the Dying Will Bullet it was supposed to be Sky only, except..."

"That is not Resonance, _Xuéshēng_ , that is two separate Flames combining as one."

"Th-then when I achieve full Resonance the color...?"

"Yes, the color of your Sky will change according to which Flame you're Resonating with, though there is usually hints of orange to be found. The steadier and stronger the Resonance the stronger the Tranquility or Constructing trait will be."

Tsuna smiled. "I did it once... to save my cat after she was tortured. It was the same day I awakened my Lightning... Now I have a goal, Fon-sensei, thank you."

"I'm certain you can do it, _Xuéshēng_." Fon patted his cheek and hopped off to lead I-Pin back to the training corner. Before he walked away though he smiled up at him. "You have a have a will that can move mountains and part seas. You just need to believe in yourself. It's one step to becoming stronger."

Usually such things were just pretty words to Tsuna, but more and more, just a little bit, he was beginning to see some real value in himself. In no way did he believe the moving mountains and parting seas bit, but he knew there was some little kernels of truth there. Belief is strong, as strong as Dying Will, and, really, this lack of faith in himself is a challenge he'll have to overcome.

One baby step at a time.

 **o o o**

Tsuna often wondered if the Kami were testing him with Reborn and every new horror that happens. That's not to say the new training was particularly hellish on his body, but it was particularly exhausting in mind and something bone deep.

Two weeks passed where Reborn, probably after having a talk with Fon, ceased with physical training on "their time" and concentrated on more Flame exercises and meditation training. He was given specially treated 'Vongola Crystals' of many types with differing levels of clarity, and he was to practice filling them up with flames until they glowed. It was slow going but Tsuna could see pretty dark blue chalcedony for Mist and the ruby for Storm were both having less and less orange as he practiced, something he was thrilled about.

(Training his Mist-Affinity, also known as Resonance, was undertaken with great fun and care because it was his mother who taught Tsuna how to manipulate his Construction-type Flames. It wasn't an easy process as he needed the indigo crystals to make his Mist-like Sky, but Tsuna's Illusions were gradually improving in toughness and intricacy. He just had to work on crunching down on the time it takes for him to make an illusion, and then he could begin trying to summon Mist-type Sky without the aid of his chalcedony.)

Now back to Trouble and Sadistic Kami's.

The young Decimo took I-Pin, Lambo and Fuuta out for shopping with promises of a treat if they all behaved, meaning if Lambo stepped out of line he would have to sit in the corner and watch them all eat yummy sweets. The tiny Bovino was surprisingly good at mimicking a stone statue as he sat quite still on Tsuna's other shoulder, clung to his hair, and kept that big mouth shut aside from the occasional mutter of "Candy, candy, candy!" as Tsuna grabbed some things to put in the cart. Leaving the candy part of the mega grocers for last, Tsuna told the children to pick something out before he grabbed two boxes of chocolate and coffee mochi ice cream on everyone's way out. Passing a bakery and seeing Kyoko with Haru had him entering to greet them.

It was apparently Cake Day, for her and Haru. Something Tsuna understood as he had something of the same due the next week. The way both girls, especially Kyoko, became flustered and embarrassed over being caught in the bakery was cute and funny, but Tsuna soothed their nerves by cheerfully admitting he has his own Chocolate Indulgence Day.

The girls and Tsuna bought sweets with the Decimo having indulged in a red velvet cheesecake to share between him and the children because, well, he's man enough to admit he's weak to the puppy-eyes of well behaved kids, especially when I-Pin clasped her hands in a prayer-like manner. It was pretty adorable, he couldn't not give in, especially since neither had done a thing out of line. An uneventful trip back home, soon everyone was settled in his semi-neat sketchbook and paper messy room to eat. Somewhere in between, as Tsuna was downstairs grabbing a bottle of milk tea for himself while Reborn gave the girls and Fuuta hot tea, he returned and stopped short at the curly haired pretty-boy sitting in his seat and eating his slice of cheesecake beside Fuuta. He walked over with a frown and gently tugged his hair.

"And you are?"

The teenager, probably no older than Tsuna, stood with a distant, polite smile. "Young Vongola, it's me, cry baby Lambo. Thank you for taking care of me ten years ago. I know I was such a handful, but I've really matured."

Lambo of the future was oblivious to Tsuna's slight tension. He knew he shouldn't expect to be called 'papa' by an independent teenager, but there was a tone in this Lambo's voice. Like he wasn't close to Tsuna and might not care all that much. He was just another person in his life, no more important than the next guy. The polite, dismissive tone twisted something in Tsuna's chest and his Intuition spurred him on to hold out his hand to Lambo with a fake sweet smile. Kyoko, Fuuta, Reborn and even Haru could see that this wasn't the usual smile he held for any of his kids, this was... caution? Fear?

The teenage Lightning smiled a bit brighter and clasped hands with Tsuna, and immediately the Sky knew what was wrong. This wasn't _his_ Lambo, this one had the same Flame but the Harmonization was non-existent and it made the boy pale even as he continued to smile and shake his hand for two seconds longer. He invited Other Lambo to finish the cake and contented himself with his cold milk tea because his stomach couldn't handle anything richer. Questioning glances from the girls and Fuuta, and an X-Ray stare from Reborn could not get him to talk and he simply took out his phone to text hitman.

T.T: _This isn't my brat. He's a different Lambo, the Harmony bond or whatever, the CONNECTION, it isn't there!_

R.T: _Relax before I knock you out with a mallet. You're acting freaked out and wimpy._

Tsuna glanced up and spotted worried looks from the girls and a nostalgic smile on Other Lambo.

"It makes me feel old seeing you like this, young Vongola. You're... kinda different in the future, but right now you're the same Dame-boy I remember from childhood."

The girls frowned and Kyoko held Haru back with a shushing, feeling like this wasn't the place to get upset with anyone being ignorant. Feeling like Future Information was dangerously close at hand, and _not at all_ because he was irritated with the moronic Older Lambo for saying unnecessary things, the distinct click of gun safety being flicked off had flinching at the sight of a gun. Unfortunately he wasn't completely cowed, he straightened up and gained a challenging glint in his open eye.

"Trying to be diplomatic and ignoring you back isn't working I see, it's time for you to experience just how good I've gotten in the future, you crazy hitman!"

Lambo stood, pulled out shiny looking horns and put them on. Reborn put his gun away now that the older cow brat wasn't in danger of saying unnecessary things, and as the smell of ozone entered the room the hitman turned his attention to Tsuna to see how he dealt with this. He wasn't disappointed. The Sky stood, a pulse of his flame flaring and catching Other Lambo off-guard enough for the shorter teen to grab the Bovino by the ear and glare up at him.

"You are in _my_ room, Lambo, what gives you the right to try and fight here? Right here where Kyoko-chan, Fuuta, I-Pin, and Haru-chan are! I thought you were raised better than that."

This looked shocked silly and was staring at Tsuna like he was an alien. "Oh, uh, r-right, Vongola! I'm sorry! Please accept my apologies! And p-please let go!"

Tsuna relaxed and gave the childish teen what most in his _Famiglia_ judged to be his own warm-the-world smile, and Lambo went bug-eyed and pointed at him, startling the Decimo.

"Mamma! Y-you just looked like mamma! How are you even-"

 **Poof!** His Lambo reappeared and looked disheveled and weepy. He glanced from Reborn to Kyoko and Haru, and when he settled his big green eyes on Tsuna he sniffled and tugged on his tail.

"P-papa? Tsuna is the great Lambo-san's papa, right?"

Tsuna froze as his mind raced to come up with why the hell his _bambino_ would question that, and then he felt a flash of anger toward his older self, no matter which far away alternate future. So what if Lambo could probably drive a saint to drink? So what if the kid still has a lot of issues from early life to deal with? When Lambo called the Wrong Tsuna papa he should have just went along with it for the Kami-damned five minutes! He wasn't a silly teenager, he was the boss, the man that should be watching out for the _Famiglia_.

This Tsuna quickly grabbed Lambo into a tight hug and rubbed his back. The hum of a Harmony between their Flames was far more soothing than Tsuna would have thought, and Lambo broke down wailing about the Bad Decimo letting Bakadera throwing him in a dark room and locking him in alone. With a heavy heart and a burning desire to slam a Lightning-Sky tonfa down that older alternate self's throat, as well as Other Gokudera, Tsuna sat with Lambo on his bed as the girls and a surprisingly somber looking I-Pin watched and listened. Fuuta climbed onto the bed and quickly tickled Lambo and in very little time the happy Lightning was back and sitting on Fuuta's shoulder and demanding cake to make him feel better.

With the return of a happier Sky by that sight, the atmosphere lightened and the girls shared cake with I-pin. Distracted by keeping Lambo from smearing cream cheese icing all over his face and in his hair, Tsuna missed the exchange between the three girls and shared special buns. He jolted out of Papa-Mode when his Intuition sent a icicle spearing his heart and he flinched, turning toward the girls just as they fell back in a faint. Tsuna cried out and was kneeling over them in a second, feeling their pulses (weak and fluttery, Kyoko feverish). He could feel his Flame rising with his panic and flooding his bedroom with a cold instead of heat now.

"They're barely breathing, their heartbeats are weak! Th-they're dying Reborn, help me, please!"

"It's a type of poison cooking," said Bianchi, stepping into his room elegantly.

"I figured that out, Bianchi-san, but how can we save them?" Tsuna's hands were twitching and he drew his Sky in close the moment he saw his own breath leave in a thick puff of vapor. The natural warmth of the room immediately returned. "If they die like this I won't be the Decimo!"

Reborn threw an eraser at his head, making him flinch with a yelp. "Relax, Baka-Tsuna, I-Pin must have an antidote, right?"

The little Chinese girl quickly pulled out a paper bag, but only one large pill fell out. Tsuna's stomach twisted and when Bianchi said it was a test of love he glared and sent a pulse of Sky directed at her carrying his rage and fear. This had the professional hitwoman shuffling back several steps with a pale face. Privately Reborn was pleased Tsuna had such a Killing Intent, whether the boy realized it or not.

Reborn was intrigued, if not impressed enough to smirk, when Tsuna made his decision and had Haru swallow the pill. The Decimo turned to Kyoko as his Sky flickered violently and lost color, lightening to a more golden shade cloaking his hands. There was a hard determination in the lines of his youthful face, the will to die to save one of his best friends, and the room was flooded with warmth as Sky of a Sunny edge burst to life on his forehead. He then laid one hand over her heart and one on her stomach and, through sheer will and mental pleading, connected his Flames with her own. The process he only half planned out was helped by her Sun burning hot with the instinctual effort to fight the poison.

He wasn't going to lose her, he wasn't going to lose _anyone_ , and Kami pity the bastard that tried to take one soul in his slow-growing circle of friends.

There was a soft gasp from the unconscious Kyoko as her Sun and Tsuna's Resonating Sky merged and then there was a gorgeous and blazing Sun Flame on her forehead, and seconds later the sick flush of her cheeks and waxy complexion faded. Tsuna watched, eyes hooded from HDW and face pinched as he could feel how her Flames were jump started and kept from going berserk by his. Seconds turned into a minute before Kyoko's eyes fluttered with the fading of her Dying Will Flame, and she saw Tsuna, pale and weak but smiling, move away from her. That flame was on his head again, the one that appeared when he fought Hibari and it meant he taxed himself to a semi-debilitating degree on occasion, but now, as she sat up and reached for Tsuna, she could see it was much worse than ever. His eyes rolled back and he fell into her waiting arms, his Dying Will Flame flickering to nothing. Her heart lurched when he felt almost cold as she held him close, murmuring his name and stroking his hair. I-Pin and Lambo scurried over, tears flowing down their faces and Kyoko offered them reassuring smiles.

"Reborn-kun, what's wrong with Tsuna-kun?"

"He overtaxed himself by forcing a full Sun-Resonance and connecting with your Flame to save your life. It isn't so much Flame Exhaustion as the limits of his control and ability being pushed and broken through on top of triggering a Hyper Dying Will on his own once more. He'll be out for two days at the least."

"Is there anyway to speed up recovery? Maybe one of my Sunny Pills?"

The infant nodded. "That may help. Bianchi, please put him to bed."

"Of course, Reborn~!"

* * *

 **I always appreciate anyone pointing out mistakes in the writing since I can't catch everything with even a dozen personal proofread's. I don't get all huffy over faults being pointed out, I** _ **want**_ **to improve. :)**

* **canon!** **LAMBO: I don't know how many people read and felt about his part, but if he seemed really rude and dismissive with the "no good" part, well, I hope I made it obvious he was being nostalgic and felt comfortable around who he thought was "his" Tsuna-boss-brother and could speak bluntly. That and and as much as canon!TYL!Lambo respected canon!Tsuna, I doubt that he was any less of the speak-first-do-first-think-later teenager he seemed to be.**

 **** Cuore-del-Cielo's! Lambo: I was sure I got around to putting this in. *face-palms* Here it is: The future in which honorary-Sawada-Lambo appears is Amano's Future. The one where evil!Byakuran is wreaking merry, diabolical havoc beyond the notice of "civilians". That TYL!Tsuna is extremly stressed. He could have been working on plans, doing paper-work, or what have you, point is that he was being pushed to his breaking point. Maybe even had a migraine with Ryohei out and beyond reach so he was without relief that the strongest (safest and non-addictive) pain relieving drugs could bring. That Tsuna was too frazzled and stretched everywhere to ponder how his trusted Right Hand would react to that strange Lambo who somehow knew where he hid his bombs on his person and tried to make off with some without his papa nearby to reprimand him. Gokudera, not known for having a lot of patience, was also very stressed by the ongoing war, and Lambo was hard to catch, making things even worse... In short it was not a good day for anyone. **This instance IS addressed in a written-out future omake that will be put out once the Ring Battles are done. I'm sorry to anyone who took great offense to this scene! D: [ _28/12/15_ ]**

 **I'll be answering reviews. I never really got to before after updating. Sorry about that. I need to stop doing what I'm apologizing for, so I will work on that.**


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**[ EDIT: 15/11/15, fixed some things so they make sense and make way for future chapters. ]**

 **Critique is appreciated just as much as praise. :)**

 **AND HOLY SCHNITZEL. 194!? That is blowing my mind. Every reviewer and person who reads this my silly little fic is awesome.**

 **x** **X x**

 _ **"Friends are the bacon bits in the salad bowl of life." ~ Anonymous.**_

 **x X x**

That problem with Other Lambo was never brought up by Reborn and the Sky preferred not to think about it. Some things can never be ignored forever, though they can be _put off_ for a time since Tsuna confiscated Lambo's TYL Bazooka and all the connected ammo, then gave it all to Reborn for safe-keeping just in case of some disaster.

 **. . .**

October had become November and November was now early December with the weather being chilly enough for Tsuna to to leave the house in warm pants, light winter jackets or doubled sweaters, and his naturally warm X27-Gloves, as well as a panda hat that Fon bought for him only three days before.

Hibari texted Tsuna. Texted him first. It took the boy half an hour to get up the courage to look because, hell, what could he possibly want so early? Ever since first fighting Tsuna in his HDW form Hibari had taken to kidnapping the Sky now and again for a spar, he never texted unless he was giving fair warning to a future kidnapping, or for Tsuna to to ask his mother to make food for the Skylark and the mother Tsuna almost wanted to see (almost, he was scared to ask and receive a summons to the Hibari household). All texts were punctual and between twelve in the afternoon and two. Never at four PM. With a tickle of non-Intuition worry Tsuna opened the text and groaned.

Hibari Text: _There are pick-pockets lurking around the shopping area. You and whoever you want to use, may join. Catch the foolish herbivores and then text me._

Hence why Tsuna was walking with Reborn on his shoulder and texting Gokudera and Takeshi about silly things to reassure them that he'd be fine. Piero trotted at his side, heterochromatic eyes sharp and glancing over every person they passed. It wasn't difficult looking as pathetic and weak as Reborn wanted, apparently when not protecting or dealing with people for his _Famiglia_ he's naturally a bunny rabbit for others to prey upon. What a self-esteem booster, but then Reborn said it worked in their favor this time so don't complain, and Tsuna privately decided that was the infants apology for making Tsuna hang his head with a look of shame. The Decimo was dressed jeans and a large smiley-face sweater with black background and he had his usual duffel slung over his head. He had a wallet in his pocket with a tracking device sewn into it that began as a not-st-all-serious idea that he got from anime and TV:

Why not let someone steal a bugged wallet, and then follow them? Something like it worked in spy movies and anything Reborn had on hand would no doubt do the trick.

So yes, Tsuna was texting the his swordsman and bomber friends, and sending some to Kyoko as they were the three prone to worrying more, then he texted his mother to see if she wanted him to buy anything while he was out. He felt more than saw someone dip into his pocket and grab his wallet while Reborn pretended to sleep on his shoulder with his fedora pulled down to hide his eyes.

Reborn quickly had Leon turn into a baby-sized laptop and began directing Tsuna where to go. They came to a cafe where a trio sat in a booth and Tsuna sat down in the booth opposite them and ordered a coffee for Reborn and himself a hot chocolate. The Arcobaleno strapped a tiny black object to Leon and sent the lizard, in camouflage mode, to go record the conversation. Two minutes later Leon returned and after listening it was obvious they were the three performing the thievery and Tsuna silently thanked his lucky stars, especially since none of them even noticed him come in!

Or begin following them when they left five minutes later.

It was probably the Shadow Step Technique he was using, which Nobu had taught. Learning it began with training to dampen his presence by calming his mind and closing his emotions. Then he had to 'pull in his energy' as best he could to hold it inside and not let it leak out. The second part to this technique is working on becoming naturally in tune with one's surroundings until avoiding noise-making parts of a floor is done without conscious effort, as well as treading as silently as possible. The second part wasn't easy what with his damn Sky being sealed off back then, but substituting Lightning and increasing mental capability by supercharging his brain allowed him to master it somewhat. It seemed like since he had his main Flame was unsealed some of the techniques he learned were sharpening and becoming what Nobu had wanted for him. 'Speaking' of the eccentric martial arts master, Nobu said Tsuna was a natural due to subconscious desire for going unnoticed granted by him being an adorable bunny rabbit on the inside, one with extra fluffy fur like his hair.

"Did Nobu teach you this?" Reborn said quietly. Piero meowed from her place at Tsuna's side as though saying yes.

"Yep. Don't even have to smother my emotions all that much anymore... I suppose he's a hitman? Or an assassin? Um, is he..." He forced down a stab of everyday worry. "He's not on _that_ kind of job, is he? He's fine?"

Reborn rolled his eyes. Him and his paranoia over _Famiglia_. "He semi-retired when he was sixteen and occasionally does favors for his previous Family, but mostly he's free-lance and lazy. Moved to Namimori and opened the dojo, and later chose you as his protege. It's cheating having the world's top martial artist train you in his stead, but he still says he has claim even while training three others."

"... Should I take that as he's in contact with you? Still?" Tsuna forced down the swell of pain and pulled a mask of deadpan humor on his face. It worked on most but trained professionals like the Arcobaleno there. Oh, and close friends.

"He's testing himself. His boss from the Irukaza group was a a Cloudy Storm, a mean combination in anyone but that humble iron-backed woman." At Tsuna's dubious look the hitman pinched his ear, earning a satisfying yelp. "Nobu has never experienced being with a Sky. He didn't understand that he had Harmonized with you and was confused over why he felt uncomfortable not being close to protect you after a certain amount of time, and he felt anxious. Things he never felt before becoming your teacher."

Tsuna frowned and dragged a hand through his hair. "I get it. He's trying to see how long he can stay away for, because he doesn't want to be dependent on me?"

"In a way. Proper Harmonization boosts the power of the Flames, increases the ease of use, and he noticed the difference between before and weeks after he left."

"Ah. So, he could manipulate his Flames before meeting me?"

"It's rare but not unheard of, and yes he can. Mists are most common when it comes to utilizing without a medium like a ring, and there are about twenty-three people world-wide that can use their Flames externally, including those in your group, and most are in the Mafia for various reasons."

No more was said after that. Tsuna followed the trio to a warehouse where they met up with a bunch of other delinquents and Tsuna sneaked in. What he found was a surprising sight involving a skinny and battered blond teen in a baggy blue overalls and a oil stained long sleeved gray shirt. He was resting on his side on the dirty cement floor. His left cheek was swollen and he had a badly split lip, and he was tied up and helpless surrounded by brutal delinquents. Despite his injuries he had such a calm and deadpan expression, like he knew he'd be okay, and it both caught Tsuna's interest and his concern. Evidently this one had no self-preservation to speak of.

"You gonna give up your robot to Renji, here? We wanna win the prize money, Geek Face!"

"No, neanderthal."

"The hell is that, you scrawny shit!"

"An extinct species of pre-historic barbaric human."

That big delinquent snagged Death Wish Boy up and held him in the air. "You wanna die here, punk?"

Tsuna crackled with Sky-Flame and Reborn settled himself on a crate to watch the show. It was quick but satisfactory as Tsuna blurred in, jabbed the male in the floating ribs (audible crack), knocking him out with the pain, and caught the incapacitated blond with one arm to keep him from face-planting. While others were frozen in shock Tsuna easily hoisted the surprisingly lanky Death Wish Boy into his arms bridal style and in the same move went sprinting out of the building. In little time he was setting the boy on a bench roughly a mile away. Ignoring the inquisitive green eyes boring into him, Tsuna pulled out his phone to text Hibari the coordinates and sighed heavily. Was this his life now? Pretty much being a vigilante? Wait, that _could_ be a good thing since that's what the Vongola were in the first place. Food for thought.

With his mission done, Tsuna pulled off his duffel bag, placed it beside the boy still tied up, and then immediately face-palmed at his idiocy.

"Crap! I'm sorry, my name is Sawada Tsunayoshi," he said, smiling at him gently. "I'm sorry for not untying you right away, Death Wish Boy."

As he tore the rope D.W.B corrected him. "My name is Spanner Aurelio, rather it's Aurelio Spanner here, right, Sonic?"

Tsuna stared at him for a perturbed moment and nodded as he got the feeling that he had found another weird one, assuming he kept contact with this guy. The Sky took out a First Aid box and pointed at Spanner, then began treating him when the boy nodded. First his face was cleaned with a bandana and water from the bottle he kept in his bag, then he dried the area around Spanner's lips. Though Tsuna blushed darkly his hands didn't shake while he applied a butterfly bandaid to hold the bad split closed, then he handed Spanner an activated cold pack to hold against his darkening bruise, and and placed bandaids on other facial scrapes. He asked if Spanner had any allergies and gave him pain medication when the answer was no.

"Who are you staying with over here, Spanner-san?"

He shrugged. "Crappy hotel."

Tsuna's face fell flat and Reborn's face did the same thing for a different reason. "You're, what, fourteen and staying in Japan alone? In a bad hotel? What about your parents?"

"Aunt and uncle gave me the money to come here, and with the added money from my grandpa's will available to me I'll be staying here indefinitely as soon as I find a place. My being sent here was about them not being able to deal with me turning the vacuums and toasters into robots. It's not like they destroyed anything, they kept my room and the house clean."

Reborn and Tsuna exchanged a look, however the former had an interested gleam and the latter felt realization and slight dread creep through him.

"Spanner, would you like to visit Tsuna's home? His mother makes excellent Japanese cuisine and later he can show you around Namimori if you'd like."

"You're talking." Spanner stared, tilted his head, and turned to Tsuna. "Is your shoulder companion a robot? There's no way an infant can talk that eloquently, not unless they are secretly five and even then it's a stretch."

Tsuna felt impressed. Few ever picked up on Reborn being 'odd' and for that alone he went along with whatever Reborn had planned, whether just to observe or recruit a robotics savvy boy.

"Um... it's a disease, you could say, barely anyone has it so there's no information on the Internet, but the Shrinking Disease involves regressing in years... k-kind like Benjamin Button, that American film?"

Spanner's eyes lit up in curiosity. "How fascinating and pitiful." He turned his eyes to Reborn and bowed slightly. "Hello, what's your name?"

The hitman snorted. "Reborn, World's Strongest Hitman."

When Spanner turned questioning eyes on Tsuna the boy shrugged and plastered a smile on his face. "Make of that what you will, at least you're getting free food, right?"

"Good point, Sonic."

"Please stop that."

"No, it's a good nickname. You were nothing but a blur when you came in to hit the neanderthal, and the world after that was like a blurry painting. I know the bright green bench was exactly one mile away from the warehouse, so what would take others ten minutes you did in roughly a minute."

"How do you even know that?"

"They weren't intelligent enough to keep me from any of the windows so I memorized landmarks."

"Smart. So, those guys were after one of your robots to win a competition, right?"

"Yes, but they would never think to look for it where I hid my most recent masterpiece."

"Would you like to get it before coming home with me for dinner?"

Spanner looked at Tsuna for a long minute before nodding. "Yes, I'm fine with that. You look civilized."

By this time they were well on their way to the bus stop that would drop them off closer to his home, and Piero had met up with them again since losing Tsuna to that burst of speed. Spanner seemed to have a very good memory when it came to navigating around Namimori and quickly found Nagakusa park and went to a particularly big tree with a hollow in the roots. He withdrew a box twice the size of Reborn and hefted it over one shoulder and gestured to Tsuna to lead the way.

 **. . .**

Tsuna's madre and the children, as well as Bianchi, were not home when he arrived. Fon left a note saying he was meditating in the mountains.

"Sorry, Spanner-san, my madre's out with the kids. I could make you some onigiri and green tea, if you'd like?"

The lanky teen nodded and set his box down beside the chair he dropped into. As Tsuna turned and bustled around the kitchen, grabbing ingredients from the fridge and putting on a plain blue apron, Spanner watched alongside Reborn and the teen wondered why he found the sight so amusing. Tsuna was tiny compared to him, but Spanner had an early growth spurt he figured wasn't stopping anytime soon, and the speedy lion-haired teen had a very kind face, somewhere between pretty and adorable. Spanner took out his phone and called Tsuna's name. When the boy turned with a nearly finished rice ball in hand, face open and curious, Spanner snapped a photo and thanked him for being so understanding, which utterly baffled the poor Sky.

It wasn't worth the potential headache it would be deleting that photo. It wasn't anything new, Gokudera, Takeshi and the rest of his _Famiglia_ had seen him cook simple meals now and again, and showing it to the school public wouldn't be too bothersome. He didn't care, cooking happened to be a survival skill.

Reborn eyed the blond teen with a raised brow and Spanner bluntly whispered, "Yamato Nadeshiko."

The Arcobaleno actually (albeit quietly) laughed out loud, startling Tsuna into a yelp. The boy turned, half expecting to see some weird apocalypse from out of the somehow silently blown out side of his house. Nothing. Reborn just had this smirk on his face while Spanner even looked amused and waved the panicked Decimo off. With a pout-like glare Tsuna turned and finished the salmon onigiri, pulled out leftover sushi from Takeshi's along with appropriate condiments, and placed the food on the table, then he poured the tea he prepared earlier and gestured to a jar of honey (a sweet he had given up on hiding from Lambo and I-Pin). Spanner first ate his two rice balls and made a contented sound, drawing a smile to Tsuna's face that the boy hid behind his tea mug. Next he ate Takeshi's sushi and he said it was good, leading Tsuna to admitting the sushi was made by a friend of his. The tea made Spanner smile and say it was the best he'd had yet.

Finishing their meal lead to talking and Tsuna admitted he was kind of No Good when it came to most things, but then Reborn bounced rubber ball-Leon off his head, sending him toppling to the floor with a yelp. He climbed to his knees and peeked over the table to stare sullenly at the deadpan faced Arcobaleno.

"I'm... okay, at stuff, is that better? The only things I'm really good at are drawing, throwing knives, hand-to-hand combat and Italian. Oh, and I can cook simple stuff."

"I see. You were bullied a lot as a kid, weren't you?"

"Well, yeah, I was called Health Hazard Tsuna for reasons you can imagine for yourself." Tsuna smiled sheepishly. "The slower students still call me my old nicknames."

"Hm. Would you like to see Sarumane? I named her that because she's a thinking and learning robot."

Sarumane looked like a fantastical monkey. Human hands and normal hand-like feet with textured rubber on the finger and toe pads, big ears that moved and flicked to follow sounds, and it also had an expressive face. Made entirely of metal colored green and purple, with a long and candy striped tail completely ambidextrous as with it the bot carried a mug of tea to Reborn without spilling a single drop. It seemed the eyes of the monkey-bot were made of clear and multi-faceted pieces of quartz, that or glass. Spanner named his bot Sarumane, meaning monkey-see-monkey-do mainly as a way to honor the tricky AI technology he used to create it. When asked where he got AI tech he said he hacked into some expensive corporation, ordered it and sent the package through different hurdles and countries before he recieved it from a 'tech-loving compatriot' in another city in Milan, Italy.

Tsuna didn't have to see the smirk on Reborn's face to know the hitman had decided on a member of the Family for him.

 **. . .**

"PAPAAA!" Tsuna was tackled out of his seat by a blubbering Lambo who clung to him. "Lambo-san was scratched by a dog!"

Ignoring Spanner's quiet chuckle Tsuna got to his feet, placed Lambo on his hip, and greeted his madre and the others as they entered the room while he left. He returned with a cow-child sporting band-aids on his nose and cheeks. The Sky stopped at the doorway and observed Fuuta going gaga over the robot along with I-Pin and madre, and the young inventor and robotics prodigy (Tsuna was certain he could not be anything less) was smiling again as he directed Sarumane to perform tricks and mimic voices. Well then. Seemed Spanner was already fitting in.

"Tsu-kun! Where did you find Spanner-kun?"

"Sawada-san, your son saved me from a bunch of neanderthals."

"Ah! Tsu-kun, I'm so proud of you!" Nana hustled over and pulled both son and little Lightning into a giddy hug. "Mamma's making oden tonight to celebrate meeting a new friend!"

Spanner would later admit to Tsuna from the floor of the latter's bedroom that he was impressed with how Nana got him to so easily agree to staying over. Tsuna chuckled and said his madre had a way about her. That was totally true and with "mysterious" help Spanner found a small one-floor home, with basement, to rent for a strangely low price the very next day. That it was ten minutes away from the Sawada household told the young Sky all he had to know and he thanked Reborn for helping Spanner. The hitman said he was merely sinking the Tenth Generation Vongola's claws into a 'gold mine' before anyone else.

In all of a day after moving in to the town permanently, Spanner was enrolled in Yumei Private Middle School and came over frequently to mooch off of the Sawada household. Tsuna was amused and mostly worried, as he suspected that his mechanical genius friend was not a cook in any sense of the word. Thus Tsuna plainly asked to know Spanner's usual eating habits and was concerned to learn the blunt boy habitually forgot to eat as he was always fiddling with something and therefore occupied. This inevitably lead to Tsuna asking his mother to help him make bento's for his friend to have in advance that way he could call up every day at six or seven and tell him to eat so he doesn't perish from the world before his genius did anything to shake it (figuratively!). In the mornings, as it was 'luck' that he had to pass by on his way to school, he could check in on the laidback future engineer and occasionally get him to leave the house before lunch to attend his morning classes. Those mornings were difficult when he had Gokudera at his side because the bomber wasn't yet warming up to the eccentric foreigner, not that he was especially warm with anyone but his Sky anyway.

Two weeks after Spanner began living in Namimori he was sitting in the Sawada kitchen watching Tsuna make dango. Gokudera was off training in the mountains, Takeshi was training with his dad, Hana was, according to her text, training too, and the children were occupied in the backyard with Fon watching them. Madre was reading in the living room, Reborn was presumably off planning chaos for Tsuna's life, Ryohei yelled a hello on his run by earlier, and Kyoko was cheerfully secretive about her own training.

"If you were a girl you'd make the perfect wife."

Tsuna jolted and turned to see Spanner's deadpan face. Mutual staring went on before the genius cracked a little grin and said he was joking. Gender doesn't matter one lick to him. Not like he wants _baby_ kids, he'll just adopt if he ever gets that crazy urge to raise a family. Tsuna spent that evening being hyper aware of how Spanner acted and looked at him, and realized the boy was sort of pulling his leg for kicks. He really did mean the not caring about gender bit, so was he bisexual too or just... asexual until he found interest in someone?

It boggled Tsuna's head.

 **o o o**

Gokudera roped Takeshi into helping him take Tsuna's place on clean up duty because the Decimo had a headache. It wasn't debilitating at all but it was just enough to make him feel a little ill, and it also an ongoing thing only alleviated by taking the _Soleggiato[Sunny]_ Pills Kyoko made him. When he arrived on his street and found Spanner standing ten feet away from the nearest group of black uniformed men, Tsuna's thoughts immediately went to danger and he sidled up to the boy with his Sarumane on his shoulder. He had upgraded the monkey with mystery stuff to make it strong and coupled with the learn-by-observation AI, Spanner was pretty well protected with a martial-arts imbued bot. None the less Tsuna looked up at his friend worriedly and plainly asked if any of these men tried hurting him.

"Relax. They just barred my way into your home for food, said you're the only one allowed in." Spanner looked down and eyed him thoughtfully. "What would you do if they had hurt me?"

"I'd beat them up."

Spanner chuckled softly and waved for him to go. "Well, now that the king has returned we should be able to get in."

Tsuna rolled his eyes and grabbed his friend's wrist and moved toward his home. When he was blocked by a mafioso claiming only he could go through he frowned and crossed his arms.

"I assume you're all subordinates of someone inside my home, so I would hope you'd know what I look like unless you're that dumb." Yeah, he went there. It felt good to say something like that and be justified. At the round of angry looks and suspicious squints he rolled his eyes. "I _am_ Sawada Tsunayoshi. Please let me through, otherwise I'll have to call Reborn."

The both of them were soon let in when Tsuna said, with an apologetic look at his indifferent friend, that Spanner was his subordinate and as future Vongola boss he wouldn't be tolerant much longer if they kept being difficult. Together he and Spanner climbed the stairs and when he entered his room he found himself caught by three facts: there was a plush looking chair he kind of wanted for himself, a pair of total strangers stood flanking the door, and thirdly there was a gentle Sky Presence within his room. Reborn wasn't hiding his own natural aura at all, wherever he may be, and that was the only thing that kept Tsuna from going on the defensive after so many times of finding mafioso in his home, whether conscious or not. He forced himself to relax and let go of that _Protective-Lion-Monkey-Mode_ as Hana so eloquently put it.

"Who are you?"

"I traveled very far to pay you a visit." The voice was smooth and deep and Tsuna took an immediate liking to the kind quality it held. Then the person spun the chair in a slow and dramatic way and revealed a very handsome, if not beautiful, blond man with a tattoo on his hand revealed by the sleeves of his jacket. "Chiavarone _Famiglia_ 's tenth boss, Dino."

Tsuna shuffled on the spot and smiled nervously. "H-hello, nice to meet you, Dino-san."

The man's eyes sharpened and Tsuna tried not to step back as he recalled Fon's warnings on the meetings between Skies, as this one might try to kill him and he really, really didn't want to fight to the death.

"He's no good." Tsuna froze in surprise and Spanner shifted from behind him, watching the scene with deadpan eyes as he began drumming fingers on his Sarumane's arm. "You don't have a strong aura. The way you present yourself is nearly pathetic, there's no sense of anticipation, you don't seem ambitious, and you look unlucky. Oh, and your legs are short."

Dino grinned, the expression somewhere between mocking and honestly friendly. "Your disposition to be boss and lead others is a zero."

Spanner clucked his tongue in a short pattern and handed Sarumane an over-ripe tomato he'd been planning to try an experiment on. It splattered on Dino's shirt and he squawked, falling off his chair in surprise. Immediately the Chiavarone mafioso in the room turned guns on Spanner and Tsuna moved instinctively, slamming an open palm on one mans chest and knocking him unconscious in one hit. The other taller man was about to shoot before Tsuna knocked the gun away and under his bed, then he kicked the man's legs out from under him and swiftly had him pinned to his hardwood floor with arms twisted behind his back. Tsuna's face was fierce as he glared at the man underneath him.

"If you like not being broken to little pieces you will **never** point another gun at any of my friends."

Spanner had a triumphant little smile on his face as he looked from a gobsmacked Dino, the squirming and cursing subordinate on the ground, and his "Nadeshiko" friend. The tension was shattered by Dino throwing back his head and laughing like he won the lottery.

"So he's like me, eh, Reborn?"

The Arcobaleno landed on the Chiavarone Boss's head. "I wouldn't go so far as to insult him."

The blond boss chuckled as he stood up and caught the mess of tomato before all of it hit the floor. "Now that's being mean to your former student."

Tsuna let the man up with a warning look before turning to Dino with a smile. "Did he inflict the Leon-Jig on you often?"

"Eh? What's the Leon-Jig?"

Reborn jumped up and settled on Tsuna's fluffy hair. "It's when I make him dance around the bullets I shoot at his feet, and no, Dino was too pitiful to survive something like that back then, even with his subordinates. But time has passed, are you interested in dancing for me?"

Dino paled and rapidly shook his head. "Hell no! N-no thank you, Reborn!"

Ten minutes later everyone, which only included Dino and his Right Hand Romario in particular, were seated around the dining table with tea, honey, and Nana's chocolate chip cookies. Of course this was after Tsuna cleaned up the tomato mess with the culprit's help.

"Little Usagi-chan the lion here is the future boss of the bloodiest, most dangerous underground mafia out there?" Spanner said in between bites of cookie. "This guy, the one that saved me from a bunch of delinquent neanderthals, is going to be the head of a murderous mafia that relies on seedy dealings and murder for money and power?"

So far Tsuna had nervously eaten through a whole box of chocolate mochi ice cream and had two mugs of tea as he let Reborn tell Spanner the same thing he told his original group of friends, minus the bits about Flames. He would reveal his own intentions when Reborn was finished talking and until then he was trying not to feel his stress headache. Fortunately only the Skies felt the ongoing separation so acutely, even then feeling the connections like he did was said to be rare. Nobu was only uncomfortable and a bit out of sorts, nothing else, and that was good to hear.

"Why is that so surprising?" said Reborn, playing ignorant.

Spanner wasn't the most expressive of people and even he acknowledged that, but the pinch between his brow and the deadpan eyes clearly said he questioned Reborn's intelligence. Time to intervene!

"Hey!" Tsuna lightly slapped the table and drew all eyes to him. He was all Business-for-Family Tsuna, seeking to reassure the mechanic. "All of that was what Reborn believed he would be gearing me for, and in a way it is. Changing the Vongola to bring it back to the way it was under the Primo's control as a vigilante group protecting the public won't be easy, and I don't want to kill anyone, but*..." Tsuna's serious look fell and he forced a calm face. "Some things might not be avoidable, not if it involves protecting people. Brutal mercy... that won't always cut it, you know?"

"Brutal mercy?" Spanner tilted his head, seemingly unperturbed by everything now that he was focusing on Tsuna.

"I figure that breaking bones in the right places keeps people down and me from having to take drastic measures."

"Sounds like a good idea." Spanner nodded and sipped his tea. "So what's my role in this?"

Tsuna smiled and looked a bit scared. "Firstly, you're my friend. I'd never force you to do anything and if you want out of his weird life of mine, say the word, keep it all secret, and you won't have to see me again."

Spanner ruffled Tsuna's hair and left his thinly gloved hand where it rested. Now he knew why Reborn liked to perch there. "No, I meant what can I bring to the table? Aside from cool robots like Sarumane."

Tsuna slumped and grabbed Spanner's hand, holding it tight for a moment and placing it on the table. "Well... I keep getting these headaches. Kyoko-chan makes pills that help but the process is long... um, do you think you could make something to help with that?"

A slight frown crossed Spanner's face and he took off his glove to press his hand to the shorter teens forehead. "Of course. Sounds like a challenge."

Spanner took two bento from the fridge and bid Tsuna a good evening, nodded at Dino and Reborn, and left the home whistling an odd tune. Tsuna and Dino then talked about sadistic teachers and brutal training techniques, and exchanged numbers to keep contact before moving to the living room with canned tea to watch TV and wait for the rest of his _Famiglia_ to return. Tsuna had a sketchbook in his lap and was quietly drawing Dino as he and the Arcobaleno discussed him in Italian. It was amusing and the glint in Reborn's eyes told him he felt the same and he didn't inform Dino of Tsuna's being multi-lingual until the boy answered a question posed to the Sun Arcobaleno.

"Yeah, I did get formal training before Reborn's arrival, Dino-san." Ignoring Chiavarone boss's sputtering and Romario's chuckling, he continued. "Learned martial arts, trained up my body... I trained as hard as I could and broke a few more bones in the process."

Dino looked worried. "More bones? What do you mean?"

"You're aware of the Flames of the Sky,"said Reborn. "You experienced your own being sealed for a short time when you were thirteen, remember?"

The blond man paled. "What age were you? How much were you in sync with it?"

"I was four, nearly five... and judging from how completely ruined I was, I'd say I was in complete sync." Tsuna winced at how bitter he sounded and smiled genuinely then. "Thankfully Reborn broke the seal for me back in early September."

Dino was shaking. "I was only sealed for a year and I broke 70 bones, I-I can't imagine how many you broke..."

The shaking stilled and Tsuna felt a chill roll over the room, weaker than when he became nearly hysterical over Kyoko and Haru's near death experience, but still there. For certain there was an aura surrounding the handsome boss and it was bristling with rage as he turned to Reborn.

"Who did it and who allowed it?"

The Arcobaleno hid his eyes behind the fedora. "The Nono and Sawada Iemitsu."

Tsuna was quite impressed by the number of expletives in Japanese, Italian and other languages that Dino growled out as he stood and began pacing. Instinctively, not even realizing he was doing it, Tsuna subconsciously used a necklace of Vongola Mist stone (chalcedony) that he'd taken to wearing now and again, and retreated into what he'd eventually call Shadow-Step-Mode where his energy and physical presence is reduced to nearly zero and made damn near invisible. He watched the blond boss mutter to himself and glower darkly for five minutes before a smile lit his face. It wasn't a particularly friendly expression, and it brought to mind a shark going after blood in the water. He then turned to Reborn with a calm and neutral face.

"There's no doubt that he'll be the future boss of the Vongola, right? No one else is suitable?"

"No other possible candidate has the Flame alignment or blood necessary, yes." Reborn had a smile too, and a face like that never meant good things for others. "Do it. You have the right and seeing as you'll still be allied to the Vongola either way it can't be called betrayal."

Dino nodded and turned to face the room and frowned. "Where'd the kid go?"

Tsuna relaxed and released the technique. Dino jumped when he noticed him. "What the hell are you teaching him, Reborn? I swear that's an assassination technique."

"His first sensei was an assassin of a kind and mostly retired from the mafia. Now go on with it or I will make you dance."

"Gah! Okay, jeez!" Dino hurried around the table to Tsuna's side and held out his hand. The younger Sky stood and held it firmly and to his surprise Dino dipped down to place a kiss on the ring finger of his right hand. "From this day forward the Chiavarone _Famiglia_ are allied with the Vongola's Tenth Generation alone. Financing agreements will transfer to you and yours, our connections are your connections, and supporting each other will allow us both to become all the greater."

Tsuna's face was bright red as he withdrew his hand, nodded, and gave a respectful bow. "I-I accept, Dino-san, and I thank you for this honor."

Dino pulled Tsuna into a hug crowing "No problem, kid! I get an adorable little bro out of this deal!" and Tsuna resigned himself to dealing with yet more unique people.

Excited and determined to finalize the change of alliance, Dino bid Tsuna a good evening and left Namimori before Nana and the rest even returned.

* * *

 **** Tsuna** _ **hints**_ **that he could kill to protect, but he isn't honestly sure that he could. That he even said those words means Hibari's teaching him the "ways of the carnivores" sunk in very slightly, as he is aware that death is a huge part of life and a part of him accepts "death" mainly for those not in the group of people that he cares deeply for. In that way he's naive and childish.**

 **** The Spanner Thing:** **I'm sure that by now people have come to their own conclusions, about the AU, but keep it to PM's pretty please? I really enjoy Spanner's character. He strikes me as a laid-back guy for the most part, taking life as it is unless he feels motivated to do something more than tinker and build.**

 **** The relationship between Reborn and Tsuna is different in this. His student isn't prone to getting a big head with every little praise or compliment, he's pretty humble and only half believes, or pretends to believe, when most say he's a good guy, dependable, or cool. Reborn is trying to 'gently' beat out the his deep self-esteem issues. It's slow progress.**

 **THANKS TO: Everyone who has put this on watch and favorites since the last update.**

 **And Thanks To REVIEWERS: ob1292, beulah2013, JUST SET ME ON FIRE, MissSexyRain, flamelily274, Natsu Yuuki, EndlessChains, Kuroi Rin, Breath after Death (x2), 12animenurd13, Littlest1, Akayuki Novak, Arashi - IV of VI, general argon.**

 **I'm getting really stupid about the answering reviews thing, as in not getting to it after diving headfirst into a different project, and I'm sorry. I will devote the next hour to answering reviews to make up for my faux-pas.**


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**IMPORTANT NOTE: I'm coming to the end of my pre-written chapters. Nineteen is it, but I have 3,000+ of chapter 20 written, which should edge into the Ring Battles territory. The quality, what little there may be, will probably drop if (or when) I try to keep the once a week updating going once I get the last uploaded, so... early warning of CdC disaster?**

 **THANK YOU: Kuroi Rin, beulah2013, general zargon, Arashi - IV of VI, khr junkie, BlackxDragonxEmperor, Littlest1, sympatheticassassin, MissSexyRain, Akayuki Novak, EndlessChains, Keylars, Hime-chan Natsumi, vampireharry the 2, Zivyx, 7, Natsu Yuuki, and Shuukitane! And also thank you to everyone who read and favorite'd or put this on your Follows.**

 **ALSO: Thank you to anyone reading who happened to suggest or put my story into a community. That's really flattering, thank you very much. :)**

 **Now: TWO-HUNDRED AND TWELVE. I... I... *brain combusts for the umpteenth time* I've been busy changing up when non-canon events will happen and trying to keep from backing myself into a corner made of adamantium from which I will never dig myself out of. Bit of a brain buster.**

 **x X x**

 _ **"In the morning you beg to sleep in more, in the afternoon you are dying to sleep, and at night you refuse to sleep." ~ Anonymous**_

 **x X x**

A week before Christmas Tsuna came home from cleaning duty and stopped short at the sight of Spanner and a stranger sitting at the kitchen table and being mothered by his madre. Seeing him, she gave her boy a hug, a cheek kiss, and informed Tsuna that the kids were out with Fon and Bianchi while Reborn was doing his own thing, and then she skipped out of the room to leave him with his friends.

On the table before them was a fairly large pale-gold metal box with a red crystalline button on the side. Spanner, it seemed, loved to make his inventions all spiffy and expensive looking. As soon as Tsuna dropped his bag by the kitchen door Spanner saw him and jumped to his feet before dragging Tsuna over to sit in his chair, leaving the scrawny red-head watching curiously.

"This is my science-buddy Irie-kun," said Spanner, nodding to the redhead who smiled nervously when Tsuna's eyes landed on him. "Working off of advice given by Reborn, I roped him into helping me make the Sunny Pill Factory. Press the button."

Tsuna stared at Spanner, he couldn't help it. This was the most excited and proud he'd looked since showing off Sarumane (who was observing from her perch on the fridge top) to his family. The engineer looked adorable with his emerald eyes nearly glittering and voice bordering excited and certainly happy. He basically radiated his quiet cheer. Tsuna gave his head a shake, pressed the brilliant-cut button, and then jolted back slightly when the box folded back and spread out, revealing something that could only come from a mind like Spanner's. A silver funnel as wide as the average miso bowl stood at the top and while it was built like a blocky pyramid otherwise, there were three pricy buttons on the bottom overtop a narrow white metal slide for, presumably, the pills to go flowing out.

As Tsuna looked at his creation in awe Spanner reached into his shoulder bag and pulled out a large jar of thick green medicine that, to Spanner with his greater exposure to Tsuna's Sky, glowed mysteriously. He poured the substance into the funnel at the top and explained to Tsuna that the three buttons over the pill slide- a blue sapphire, an emerald, and an orange topaz all added properties to Kyoko's pills. Blue made his medicine both healing and extra soothing according to the research, which soothed a migraine Gokudera got from dealing with Lambo. Green would boost brain power and thinking speeds, as both Spanner and Irie could attest to, and orange was supposed to have something to do with Tsuna alone as it could not yet do anything. Panels over each spaced out button open to show two crystals that glowed with Rain and Lightning Flames that felt like Takeshi's and Lambo's. Interesting. The brilliant-cut topaz was dull in comparison.

Tsuna closed the panels as Spanner put a bowl under the slide and the Sky pressed the sapphire. A minute later a hundred teal pills filled the bowl and Tsuna's jaw dropped.

"Reborn said something about the ametrine core, a purple and orange crystal, powering the machine for a long time, while another smaller ametrine doubles and makes the output stable," Spanner explained, raising one eyebrow meaningfully. "The special fuel is a favor from Hibari. He says he expects three spars a week from now on."

Tsuna thumped his head on the table and groaned pitifully.

Spanner petted his head and pushed the bowl up against his skull. "On the bright side you're getting closer to him." A whine told the mechanic he had said the wrong thing. "Um... I'll make you something really cool?"

Tsuna looked up with wide watery kitten-eyes. "Really?"

Irie chuckled, now relaxed in the presence of a boy Spanner had explained and insisted was a kickass fighter that could disarm a trained body guards in two seconds flat, as well as go toe-to-toe with the infamous Hibari.

"I wouldn't lie to Usagi-chan, right?"

Tsuna thumped his forehead to the table with some creative Italian curses. He wished Nobu hadn't called him that and thus made it too nostalgic to stop.

Irie decided that his friend Spanner was right about Tsuna being a cool guy. No one this amusing, or with such a welcoming aura, could be bad.

 **o o o**

Nightmares were not uncommon to Tsuna. He used to have them so often after that attack in the alleyway and as time passed by those dark dreams grew uncommon. Three days before Christmas Eve Tsuna awoke from a nightmare involving watching Lambo getting killed because the boy had no skills whatsoever, unless one counts driving enemies to the drink.

Forgoing breakfast, Tsuna stayed in his room and scribbled ideas in a sketchbook. How to train Lambo without being traumatizing and damaging? Inspiration hit when he recalled the first and only time he had to scold Gokudera for throwing (cherry) bombs at Lambo. Aha! Not bombs, but paint guns. Get Lambo training in dodging bullets and grabby hands via games! Kyoko and Tsuna could plau the "Avoid Getting Picked Up Game!" and if Tsuna could somehow rope Reborn into helping everything would be set!

... Things didn't work out quite the way he planned, but at least he got Reborn to agree to help when he went down on all fours in a dogeza position. Admitting that he didn't want to lose Lambo just because as 'papa' he was scared to hurt him would be a million times worse actually helped convince the Arcobaleno. Part of the deal was letting Hana help with the "Dodge Paint Bullets Game" because she needed the target practice.

Not so secretly the hitman and Rain girl thoroughly enjoyed shooting at Lambo. With bribes of sweets and private play time Lambo was given sufficient motivation to do good in Dodging Paint Bullets and Grabby Hands from his papa and aunty Kyoko.

Over those months Lambo made remarkable improvement in stamina, agility and terms of durability. Reborn didn't have to inform Tsuna that the little boy was starting to subconsciously draw on Lightning Flames to enhance his body and speed.

Seeing Lambo getting training, Fuuta got it into his head to do the same. When Tsuna floundered and said the boy had to come up with his own weapons and style, Fuuta withdrew from everyone for a week and returned to cheerfully state he had Cloud and Lightning Flames. No one could pry out how he learned this, but since Tsuna had once walked into the kitchen on a Wednesday to find Fuuta writing notes while beside the prefect, who was talking about the Flames of the Sky, Tsuna had an idea of where at least. He wasn't sure whether to be happy that Hibari showed an interest in, _presumably_ , helping Fuuta or be horrified over possible mind-warping. Because let's face it, as much as Tsuna admires and respects his upperclassman he knew Hibari was... unique.

Knowing Fuuta's Flames left Tsuna and Reborn a foundation to build off of. Not at all surprisingly the young de la Stella wanted to learn how to wield tonfa and tambo.

Tsuna sacrificed a chocolate bunny to the ravenous maw of Lambo in hopes of Fuuta turning out better adjusted than the quirky prefect.

 **o o o**

"TSU-KUN!" Slam went his bedroom door.

The Decimo was jolted out of a pleasant (and very rare) nap where he dreamed he had huge mountain of the best chocolates in the world all to himself, and woke up on the floor with his cheek in a puddle of drool. Madre hoisted him up and gleefully shook the sleep out of him while explaining that she had won a cruise to a vacation island and that she was taking the family. Naturally Tsuna assumed 'everyone but him and Reborn', but voicing this banished that notion.

"No, no, Tsu-kun! Reborn wants everyone in our family coming along!" Madre twirled and cheered happily. "Make sure to pack, Tsu-kun! We're leaving tomorrow so call anyone you want coming along!"

Tsuna had this niggling feeling chaos was imminent, and when he came downstairs and sat down to snack on onigiri he bluntly asked Reborn if this was one of his schemes. The infant smirked and said two words, "Mafia Island."

 **Thump.** The table creaked ominously under the force of Tsuna's forehead meeting it. Reborn snickered out loud, making his student grind teeth in resignation.

 **. . .**

Spanner joined the group and took along Sarumane and his new robot (a larger but physically lighter monkey-bot called Saruyuki made of satin-finished platinum-titanium-steel with the gold-alloy accents). Haru was not included in this Mafia Land adventure, partly because Tsuna was uncomfortable taking her along as she had no combat-survival skills (Intuition, thank you), and partly because he felt uncomfortable dragging her further into the Mafia shadow of his life. Mochida was taking care of his mother, who had overworked herself and was paying for it. The rest who tagged along included Hana, Kyoko and... _Hibari_. Seeing the prefect join them willingly left Tsuna feeling disconnected with the world, like everything was off teetering on the edge of a cliff.

When asked why he deigned to join lowly herbivores the older boy offered Tsuna one very deadpan expression and bluntly said, "Danger follows you. Danger means fighting and a disruption to the monotony of everyday life."

"Ah. True." Oh, look, everything was okay again.

The actual cruise to Mafia Land, an island that moves and is protected from outside view by 'radiation blocks', was exhausting in the spiritual sense. Lambo was being particularly difficult that day and alongside Bianchi and I-Pin caused considerable trouble and it took Tsuna mummifying the cow-brat with rope and handing I-Pin off to an amused Fon for things to settle down. Sitting on the deck with his current MA teacher and enjoying the quiet ocean put the boy's nerves at ease, especially when both ignored Lambo's muffled complaints and worked together to continue teaching I-Pin Japanese. Tsuna informed Lambo that his time-out would last until the ship reached the island, which wouldn't be long, and if he did not behave he would not get to do anything fun. At all. Madre would agree because if they didn't put their foot down he wouldn't learn.

Lambo was quiet after that. He knew his papa's threats were never fake.

(Meanwhile, Hibari had comandeered the crows nest tower as it was the one place where people were not loitering near or in.)

 **. . .**

Tsuna was in a reasonably good mood after leaving the cruise ship with Lambo cheering for sweets on his shoulder. The entirely place was built like a theme park and resort and there was so much to do! Then they came to the beach (after the teenage Sky gave giant Reborn balloon's a very 'Are you shitting me?' look) and right when the Decimo was getting excited to splash in the shallows Reborn went and told him he was the representative to their group and therefore had to register their group, or 'tell them that he's arrived'.

Damn it, you Sunny hitman of doom.

Tsuna told Lambo to listen to madre and if he did there would be a bag of grape candy in his future. Remember the candy. He left with a frown and entered the Information building to wait in line. It was half an hour before he would be reached.

"Next person please," said the desk manager, and Tsuna's heart jumped in his chest.

"I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi, D-Decimo of the Vongola family."

Not reacting to his title at all she continued. "Do you have any invitation letters or letters of recommendation?"

"Unfortunately no, if there were any I wasn't handed them."

"No invitation you say... then we'll have to check your qualification as mafia."

Lead to a door Tsuna grimaced as the woman said it was a Mafia Test. Inside an opulent room with velvet curtains and sitting behind an expensive thick oak table was a large Italian man with a cigar.

"This is a government official." She placed a stack of money in his hands. "Here are one million Euros. Please use the proper technique of bribing him."

Tsuna stared. "Um... does violence and intimidation count?"

"Of course! Everything in this room is ensured by the operators of the island. We're doing this because there's no proof of you being the Decimo of the Vongola, so we have to field test you."

"..." Tsuna swallowed. How was he supposed to do this?

"By the way, if you forfeit the examination then your entire Family will be killed."

Tsuna straightened up and shoved away everything unimportant, like his fear and reluctance. He glared darkly at her, making her blink and chuckle nervously as she stepped back, then he turned and slammed the money down on the table. The thick wood cracked under the force and Tsuna pulled on his X27-Gloves. His Sky-Presence was, put very lightly, full of anger and was lashing out, filling the room with his urge to maim the man that would decide whether he fought through an island of mafioso to protect his _Famiglia_. The Italian cigar puffing man was quite pale despite his face not changing a bit. Tsuna stalked around the table and when the man pulled out a gun Tsuna's hand flashed out, sending it flying across the room and through the wall, then the boy grabbed Italian-Man's shirt and slammed him onto the table, breaking it in half.

To most Tsuna did not paint a scary picture. Despite his naturally disguised strength hidden in lean muscles that refused to bulk up, and generally looking weak and ineffectual no matter what he wore, the boy looked particularly unimpressive in blue beach shorts and a grey tank top beneath a flannel patterned orange sleeveless summer hoodie.

"You are going to take this money and do whatever the hell you want with it. Tell anyone who will listen that if they harm my people nothing will stop me from coming after them and shattering 200 bones each." Tsuna gently pressed one hand against the man's adam's apple. "Brutal mercy sure is a bitch, right?"

The mafioso under him wheezed. "Pass! The Decimo passes!"

Tsuna backed off and turned to stare at the woman. Her jaw was dropped. "Oh, uh..." She turned and waved for him to follow. "Reborn wants you to join him in the Mafia Land training ground, Decimo. Congratulations on passing."

One little train ride later Tsuna exited and found his _Famiglia_ , the combat capable ones and Kyoko, who would likely work on her agility, waiting for him. Hibari was ten feet away from the others and they were all watching something on a screen.

 _". . . harm my people nothing will stop me from coming after them and shattering 200 bones each. Brutal mercy sure is a bitch, right?"_

Tsuna's face went dark red. They were watching his performance in the damn test! Damn did he look scary. He kinda freaked himself out.

"Juudaime was awesome!"

"Ahaha! Leave it to Tsuna to terrify a hardened Mafia Game player!"

"Tsuna-kun did so well!"

"Heh. The Lion-Monkey did a great job."

"EXTREME! Otōto would totally beat anyone!"

"Hn. If the Anaguma failed I would have to bite him bloody."

"I expected nothing less from my _Xuéshēng_ _._ "

"Well, Reborn, I have to say I didn't expect that, kora."

"Few would. Though he looks like a shrimp surprisingly he's anything but."

Tsuna gave himself a mental kick in the butt and shuffled forward. "H-hey, guys!"

There were congratulations given from his Guardians, which from Hibari it amounted to a smirk and a nod. Tsuna was introduced to the tiny blond Arcobaleno named Colonello and soon everyone was put through a ten minute training and test combined.

Kyoko volunteered and Tsuna nibbled on his lips in worry when fifteen suit wearing men approached her, but then she took off sprinting around the area with amazing speed, dodging the bullets aimed at her. Five minutes in the men tossed their guns to the side and entered a Wing Chun stance that Kyoko mimicked perfectly, and _oh_. Tsuna's Sky hummed in warm Intuition right before Kyoko became a blur of movement, jabbing the men who quickly lost their self-confident smirks and became alarmed. She knocked one man out with a pinch to a nerve, and another she grabbed as though to flip over her shoulder before then tossing him 40 yards away with little visible effort. Distracted by that the remaining men were suddenly freaked out. Female hitmen smiling like that was never good, and fortunately for them this was Kyoko. She defeated the rest quickly and turned to wave at her _Famiglia_ with her own warm-the-world smile. There as a clear glow of Sun in her eyes.

Tsuna swallowed hard. "Whoa. K-Kyoko-chan... is kickass."

Hana clapped him on the back. "Remember the day Fuuta came into our lives? That's when she chose to start training like me. Sun Flames activate and enhance activities, like the brain learning and memorizing for instance. She's surprisingly good with a gun too since she was given the right motivation, eh, _Tsu-na-kun_?"

"Wh-what?"

"Kyoko awakened her inner Amazon in order to pick up her slack. She was tired of relying on and troubling others to protect herself, and I think it's obvious that you were the catalyst for this change, Casanova."

Tsuna glowered, face flushing as he stubbornly pushing away the flicker of interest he felt. "Sh-she's like a..."

"Like a what? I didn't here you, Lion-Monkey." Hana leaned into his face space and giggled as his cheeks turned apple red. "You are way too easy to tease for having such a lion inside."

"Hana, you're up!" Reborn said.

Instead of seven men there were twenty and Hana immediately drew on her Rain Flame and saturated the area of the training ground with it. Colonello's eyes widened and he glanced at Reborn as the Mafia Land official trainers grew sluggish and stumbled. The Sun Arcobaleno grinned and pointed at Tsuna, the only Sky directly within their area and the Rain Arcobaleno nodded with an intrigued smirk. Hana made short work of ten men, then kicked them to the side rather easily. She pulled her Rain Flames back, covered her hands and open-toe flats in blue fire, then with a truly fight-loving grin she threw herself into the fray and moved like the wind and water, fluidly and with so little difficulty it was like watching a choreographed fight even as she sent men flying and landing in unconscious heaps with deft punches and kicks. It was almost jarring seeing Hana slap a palm into the last mans face and slam him into the ground already unconscious.

Tsuna tugged at his collar. If he'd had doubts over being bisexual it was relieved right then. He thought Hana was... attractive there, fighting and moving like a warrior princess. Having such a fierce and happy expression suited her. Part of the Decimo wanted to deny finding the sight of his two best female friends fighting 'enemies' in any way attractive, but... well, damn was it ever.

Takeshi went next and mowed through the 20 swordsmen that Mafia Land provided as a favor to the Vongola Decimo and Reborn. Gokudera, similarly, swept through his ten minute training test with hardly a hair out of place despite there being 20 highly agile targets. Ryohei smashed apart the training field with his fists and set off old mines in his fight against Fon. As for Hibari, his fight wasn't satisfactory and so he demanded Fon spar with him for the remaining seven and a half minutes. Quite the spectacular sight.

(Ryohei made the mistake of commenting on Fon and Hibari's resemblance after their fight. He was immediately sent flying into the train station by Hibari, breaking two walls. No one dared breathe a word about any possible relations.)

Reborn landed on Tsuna's head. "You're turn, space-case. Get in the ring."

With a grimace at whatever torture the Arcobaleno had waiting, Tsuna shuffled into the field of destruction and tried not to fidget as he watched a tall, tall figure in a plain red coat approach. He resembled what Tsuna figured a real life Alucard might look like, and when the man entered within five feet of him Tsuna felt his heart skip at the warm zing of his Intuition saying he knew this man. The stranger grinned, showing off rows of needle sharp teeth, and that entire look melted away in Mist Flames to reveal someone he hadn't seen in too long.

"Nobu!" Tsuna launched himself at the man and hugged him tight. That knot of painful tension in his head eased as Nobu's Cloud and Mist hummed in tune with his Sky. Whatever fraying edges of the bond there may have been soothed away and it felt like Nobu hadn't left at all. Except he had, for so long it literally hurt, and that was not good. Tsuna's happy smile morphed into a Cyanide Honey expression and he pulled back, his grip tight and unrelenting on the older martial artist's forearms. "Where have you been and why should I not try to smash up your face?"

Karibachi Nobu was still the same as ever. 6'3" in height, broad-though-lean body, tanned olive skin, handsome face sporting one yellow eye and one cherry red (contacts or Mist Flame, who knew), and hair still in that loose Mohawk style dyed black with dark purple roots, and a hair-tail braided to his mid-back. He was dressed like usual too, wearing a silk Chinese martial arts outfit of black with bright pink and purple bunnies everwhere. He still had his white and excessively doodled on sports visor. So many months away and it seemed only Tsuna had changed.

" _Weeell_ , you would have to beat me in order to do that, Usagi-chan."

Tsuna backed off four feet and withdrew his tonfa before turning to Hibari. Communicating with a look, he sent the pale gold weapons flying at the prefect who caught them with no sign of any discomfort at the force. Tsuna needlessly fidgeted with the X27-Gloves and kept his body loose for a quick reaction time even as he slightly overflowed with Sky-Lightning, arching over him and poofing out his wild hair further. In response Nobu charged his body with Cloud Flames until there was a slightly visible aura. This was going to be a fun battle, better than Hibari through dint of not having to fight for survival.

(Also, in the back of Tsuna's head he figured that the Iemitsu look-alike had been Nobu judging by the feel of Cloud and Mist Flames he felt in that hug.)

The brutal spar between Tsuna and Nobu had the same, if smoother, flow to their fight as Hana's had, and was as devastating as Ryohei's fight with Fon. The punches and kicks exchanged, powered by Flames, created small shockwaves and Tsuna realized that he had always held back against Hibari, not wanting to hurt him even when fighting for his life. An uppercut from Nobu sent Tsuna spinning up through the air and ended with him landing in a cat like fashion before he darted forward and around in a burst of speed that would have Spanner quietly pointing out "Oh, look, it's Sonic again!" before the young Sky attempted a knife-hand strike on the older man's nape. Nobu turned and caught Tsuna's hand and while Cloud and Sky met, burning loudly enough for everyone to hear harsh hissing, it appeared as though Mist Flames were leaking from their joined hands before Tsuna lashed out with a kick and sent his teacher jumping back. From there it still appeared like a choreographed fight, with punches narrowly dodged and both neatly flipping the other over their shoulders once. Near the ten minute mark Tsuna managed to send Nobu flying back with a Sky-Lightning charged kick. The man made a human shaped hole in a large boulder unearthed by Ryohei's punches and Tsuna wondered if there were anime physics at work in his crazy life.

As he stood there panting and looking at the results of his first proper hit landed on the crafty martial artist, he felt a non-Intuition chill crawl up his back and peeked over his shoulder to see Hibari glaring death at him as he stalked over with his silver-steel and spiky-at-the-press-of-a-button tonfa (courtesy of Spanner) in hand. Tsuna swallowed hard.

"Crap and fudge, this won't be good..."

 **BOOM!**

Tsuna's attention turned to the sound and he spotted smoke in the distance. People were screaming and Tsuna's heart lurched when he swore he heard his mother and the kids cry out. What if someone was after Fuuta? Just because the boy is under Tsuna's protection doesn't mean he's safe just anywhere. With a frown of concentration Tsuna rushed over to Hibari and held out his hands with a quiet apology and a solemn promise to try his best to stop holding back*. Hibari growled slightly and slammed the golden tonfa into Tsuna's waiting hands. Without prompting from Reborn, or stopping to listen to any advice (his mind was locked on finding his madre and kids), Tsuna trusted his _Famiglia_ to follow as he rushed into the pitch black tunnel and cursed how something knocked the power for it, so he flared his Sky and lit the space for everyone to see with.

Yes, it was foolhardy to rush into a situation you don't know, but Tsuna wasn't about to lead his _Famiglia_ straight into the fight. After they left the tunnel and he cut off his Flame, he turned to Hibari with a curt nod.

"There are a lot of people for you to bite to death, right, Hibari-san? Have fun."

The Cloud pushed Tsuna's fluffy head down as he stalked by with a fierce smirk. As if he was going to do anything less. Tsuna decided that it would be a cold day in hell if Hibari ever listened to an order that his Sky would actually avoid giving, however nudging in a direction might work now and again...

Tsuna and the rest of his _Famiglia_ , including Nobu with Fon riding his shoulder, headed to the roof of a sturdy cement one story building to better see what was happening and it was not pretty. Several large ships off port were sending missiles at the Mafia men, women and children, and if Tsuna's eyes weren't mistaken there was a baby standing on one of the ships. Great. Reborn he can more than tolerate, Fon he is quite fond of, and Colonello is Yet To Be Judged, and Tsuna got the feeling that he might not like this one too much. Probably a lot like Lambo minus the endearing actually-being-a-child part. Oh, and look, Hibari was taking out purple clad mafioso with the ship symbol on their fronts and tossing their 'corpses' into the way of missiles. As Hibari mada a show of his monstrous strength other people found courage to fight back, Tsuna's eyes turned away to search for his mother, Bianchi, Spanner and the kids.

"Tsuna-kun, they're over there," said Kyoko pointing to where madre was a tiny toy figure pushing Fuuta and the two kids ahead of her and away from the explosions.

"Ryohei, Kyoko and Hana, please go protect them. Someone might take this chance to snatch Fuuta from us."

The three nodded and actually jumped off the building to land in the chaos nearby below. Unfortunately they would have to go through a thick crowd of panicking mafioso and down, down to the entertainment part of Mafia Land. With Takeshi, Gokudera, and his two martial arts teachers at his side Tsuna jumped down and headed in a different course, and directly to where Hibari was taking down groups of men leaving one massive moored ship. But, just as they were about to jump into the fight, Nobu threw Tsuna over his shoulder, grabbed Gokudera, and headed directly toward a massive building that Fon said was the Mafia Fort, a stronghold just in case a war did occur and the veterans needed a place to plan a coordinated attack. Inside Tsuna felt himself calm at the sight of his three other friends standing close to his madre and the children. Bianchi was holding Reborn and snuggling him. Spanner was looking a bit roughed with his hair in disarray and his oil stained green overalls and candy-striped teal-white shirt slightly torn, but his two monkeys were alert and seemed in one piece, though the white and gold Saruyuki was perched on Fuuta instead of its creator and was swiping at anyone not _Famiglia_ who came too close.

Wow, it didn't seem like more than a minute had passed. Darn anime physics.

"Tsu-kun!" Madre ran over, dragging Fuuta with her as Lambo and I-Pin clung to her shoulders. She looked scared and even a bit angry. "Are you okay? Good. Some men tried taking Fuuta-kun! The nerve of them! Fortunately they couldn't stand up to poison-cooking, my Mist, or Spanner-kun's robots."

After giving her a hug Tsuna turned to Bianchi and Spanner and smiled his thanks before Reborn landed on his head to sit in his usual 'nest'. "Tsuna, soon everyone will be fighting over who gets to lead the war against the Carcassa _Famiglia_. Are you going to let it all descend into chaos that would harm mamma and your kids?"

Irritation at his weakness being used was pushed aside as the Decimo looked around and took note of how, yes, a number of rougher looking Families from across the world were already arguing about who leads, and many others were taking weapons out of the fort's storage. As Tsuna was digging up the courage to ask people to work together with him (not as a leader, he didn't feel qualified for that) Gokudera set off a cherry bomb and caught everyone's attention.

"The one who should lead this war is the Vongola Decimo!" He pointed at his boss proudly. "And anyone who wants to disagree can get intimate with a C4 dynamite stick!"

Aaand just like that everyone was looking at Tsuna. He fully expected to be laughed out of the fort which would then set off Gokudera, followed by Spanner and his surprisingly destructive robot monkeys, and who knows that Hana and Takeshi would do. They literally got cold at times when they thought people took things too far with Tsuna. Part of the young Sky wished it had happened so he wouldn't be "leading" the war, but no, the gathered criminal groups have to be blind and see him as a glorified teenager of "great power" and not how he is.

Tsuna hung his head and cursed quietly in a few languages before turning his eyes on madre, who kept a tight grip on Fuuta's sleeveless sweater, worn because the kid was at that age where he emulated his heroes, and he felt his resolve return. He was tired from his fight with Nobu, for certain, but he'd have to be on his way to dying not to do whatever he could. Unfortunately he was no strategist, all he could think of was that the ships had to be sunk, he couldn't think of how.

"Does anyone have anything that could hit the ship from this distance?"

A weight landed on his shoulder and blond hair tickled his cheek. "Now you're talkin', kora! Leave the ships to me, little Decimo! You and yours deal with the headache coming this way, Reborn's busy taking a nap."

Tsuna glanced at Bianchi holding his tutor and indeed the hitman was in her arms again and had his snot-bubble going on, then he turned his head and held the Rain Arcobaleno's eyes. Liking the strength he could see there (similar to his tutor's only less soul-sucking black), the Sky lifted his hand to shake with the little marksman and smile. "Thanks, Colonello. I'll trust you to sink all the ships."

The baby made a face. "Just sink?"

"Well, shouldn't they face justice at the hands of their sadistic peers?" Tsuna said, a wry sort of almost smile on his face.

Colonello grinned and patted his cheek. "I like ya, kid!"

Tsuna turned to his _Famiglia_ foremost. "Who wants to help me? Reborn's plotting world domination in his sleep so he's busy."

Gokudera volunteered to remain behind and keep Carcassa members out of the fort, Kyoko and Ryohei volunteered to tend to the wounded in and protect the fort as well, and madre kissed Tsuna's cheek and told him to make her proud by doing his best. She and Bianchi would on Protect Fuuta duty and play it safe in the kitchen where there were all sorts of make-shift weapons (later on Tsuna would feel a bit unnerved by his mother's words). Fon, Spanner (with a fancy looking gold palm-top computer along with his monkeys), Takeshi, and Hana stepped up to assist him. This is what two of the group trained themselves into the ground for, to fight at their small, formidable friend's side through thick and thin, they were not about to let him go without them backing him up. Together with a dozen other volunteers Tsuna kept in mind that he was protecting his madre and _Famiglia_ in going out and making a spectacle of himself, he can't afford to be a pansy until after the danger is passed and he can drown himself in sweets and milk tea. Oh, and manga.

Tsuna did not expect to meet with a giant armored octopus five minutes later, one controlled by a baby with a Cloud Pacifier.

"Crap! That's Skull's armored octopus! We can't go up against an Arcobaleno! We'd need another one of the strongest seven infants to beat him!"

(From Nobu's shoulder Fon wasn't sure whether he should be amused or insulted over being so easily overlooked. He decided on amusement and exchanged a smile with his old student with the black and purple hair.)

Tsuna groaned. Yellow, Red, Blue and now Purple. There were SEVEN freakishly strong babies in the world! And knowing his luck the rest would include infants no easier to deal with than Reborn on a bad day...

"Decimo! What should we do, you're our leader!"

What would someone smart do? Think! As Tsuna's mind blanked the infant in the helmet cackled after saying something the boy paid no attention to and set forth his eight limbed pet. He controlled the beast with his finger movements and an unrelated idea began to form in Tsuna's head right as one mafioso declared that he would show the Decimo what he could do. He was immediately wrapped up in tentacles and and tossed away. Tsuna's stupid idea snapped into place.

"Hana, you have your gun on you?"

"Always."

"Right... well, please use the gun if it looks like I'm in trouble. Rain Flames ought to calm this thing down, if you get my meaning."

"Uh-huh. You're about to do something stupid aren't you?"

"Yeah. Be ready to try and bail me out if it doesn't work."

Takeshi clapped him on the shoulder and grinned. "We have your back, Tsuna! Go get 'em!"

Spanner eyed Takeshi's arm for a moment, then gave Tsuna's free shoulder a squeeze. "I think I know what you're planning, Usagi-chan, just be careful."

Nobu, not one to be left out, ruffled Tsuna's hair and flashed a grin that literally Good Guy Sparkled thanks to a touch of Mist. "If there's any Arcobaleno that can be beaten by you, it's this guy."

(In the background: "Oi, Swirly-Hair." "What, Odd-Eyes?" "I'm the only one who gets to call Tsuna Usagi-chan since I've been doing it for years." "..." "You can call him Sora-chan, he is a Sky after all." "Rock-Paper-Scissors, whoever wins gets to call Tsuna-kun Usagi-chan." "Fine, fine, Swirly." "..." "..." "Ha! Ya lose, grease-monkey. Hey, don't turn that robot stare on me. Calling him Sora-chan'll become a more unique affectionate nickname from you to him. That will mean more." "Hm. I will research that before I believe you." "Oookie-dokie then.")

Tsuna nodded like he was more confident than he felt and adjusted his gloves (a nervous habit Reborn would likely beat out of him soon enough), and he rushed at the giant red octopus he mentally dubbed Octillery. Skull cackled about stupid fluffy haired brats biting off more than they can chew, and then Tsuna was choking in the clutches of one tentacle crushing the air from his lungs. He didn't waste any time in forcing his arm to slid closer to the nearest piece of armor fortunately within wriggle distance, and once his hand hit solid cold metal he flooded his body with Sky-Lightning until he had a glow most visible to those with active Flames and he essentially performed Discharge like an angry Pikachu and the octopus siezed, made a weird gurgling sound, and sort of deflated to the size of an infant as it collapsed in a pile of twitchy, smoking limbs.

"OODAKOOO! You're dead, brat, no one hurts him and gets away with it!"

Tsuna stood and frowning at the infant with every bit of irritation and promise of pain. Something about the expression gave Skull a chill and he was reminded, ever so slightly and just enough, of Reborn.

"What was your objective in attacking Mafia Land?"

The purple clad infant swallowed. "Uh, the boss said something about grabbing a kid! Told me he'd be fine if he gave up a book or something..."

There was a ten second silence in which the immediate area grew chilly right before the gloves he wore burst into to amber static flame and Tsuna advanced like a panther, face set in a snarl and his general Sky Presence speaking of imminent bloodshed. Much like a rabbit might freeze in the fear, Skull pretty much turned to stone until Tsuna had him in his shadow and snatched him up in a grip that stung instead of burned. Skull screamed apologies and begged for forgiveness and went silent only because the Decimo growled at him to.

"The kid your _Famiglia_ is after happens to me the boy my family took in. A boy I've come to love and care for as more than a little brother, he's like my own kid, you see..." Skull could see where this was going and he was seconds from crying. "Call off the attack before I do something I might regret."

"Okay, okay, I'll-!"

 **Bzzt!** " _Skull-san, Skull-san! The ships are going down! They're sinking and WE'RE sunk!_ "

Tsuna was tempted to drop the infant but that would leave him free to run so instead he drew out some handy Flame Proof rope (thank you Reborn) and treated the purple Arcobaleno like he would an errant Lambo: mummified him and carried him under his arm like a football. Tsuna then turned to the group of mafioso and his _Famiglia_ before dipping into a casual bow.

"Thank you for accompanying me. Let's head back before any surprises jump out at us." Cheers and a lot of 'Yahtzee's!' filled the air. Tsuna straightened with a soft smile he kept from being shy out of sheer will. "Would someone please make sure Skull's octopus comes with us?"

Takeshi cheerfully overtook all other offers so he carried shrunken Octillery.

 **. . .**

There was a whole day to play in Mafia Land, something Tsuna found to be like too much good luck. He got to play with the kids in the water (with him wearing a black sleeveless t-shirt), improved very slightly on his crappy swimming skills to the point where he could actually tread water, and he got to see Hana and Kyoko in cute bathing suits. True to his sort-of personal promise he gorged on chocolate sweets alongside the girls and shared with his friends.

Tsuna knew his good luck wouldn't last. At least it wasn't anything actually bad. He got to meet the cute little lady boss of another _Famiglia_ that soon enough escaped his memory, but he did remember her words of warning.

"If I were you, Tsuna-san, I would stock up on your female Sun's miracle pills. They'll come in handy someday!"

And with a mysterious giggle the dainty girl walked off with her subordinates leaving Tsuna standing by the sweet stand with a faintly stupid expression of confusion and worry.

 **x X x**

 **Honestly? I like Skull. He's like a kicked puppy that can't understand why he's being beaten up. I like it when he's a BAMF in fanfics though. Wish there were more like that... Oh, I have an idea. :D**

 **NOBU: I figure this isn't the most... flashy of proper introductions, but he's back! To torture Tsuna some more! There will be some dialogue between student and teacher, possibly in an omake, but he'll be fleshed out some more.**

 ***TSUNA AND HIBARI: The latter is used to sparring with his mother, whom is stronger and still more skilled. As much as it chafes, Hibari can only get his mother to keep pushing him further in skill. She refuses to unleash everything she has on him, and he knows that Tsuna would be just like her in that respect. [AFTERTHOUGHT while editing: 15/11/15.]**

 *** EDIT: 23/11/15. As I write another chapter I had to change something to match what I wrote. Fortunately for me the details don't require an overhaul of the fic...**

 **Thank you to anyone who's finished the chapter! If you have any critical comments go ahead (I know there will be! My chapters will never be perfectly written realistically speaking), if you have anything nice to say about went on in this chapter, go ahead. If you have any suggestions... well, since I know I won't be inundated with a tsunami of PM's go ahead and send me one. I'll see if I can work it into a "behind the scenes" omake that may-or-may not be "canon".**


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**NOTE: Most of this sounds fillery and is adapted loosely from the manga but each segment serves a small purpose, whether to clear up someone's role or growing skill-set, ETC, so read if you'd like, BUT if you want to get to the more interesting bits you can skip to around the underlined _It was your average summery day in Japan_. ****I warn, however, that if you do you will miss some key parts that come into play in other chapters. And Spanner too.**

 **Second Note: I AM writing this as much for my own enjoyment as I am for sharing this out there, so... I hope this chapter is okay? And apologies to mistakes not caught in proofreading! If you tell me and specify a general area of where they are I'll try and get to them. At some point. *shifty eyes***

* * *

 ** _"Babies don't need [fathers], but mothers do. Someone who is taking care of a baby needs to be taken care of." ~ Amy Heckerling._**

* * *

Two weeks after the Mafia Land incident Hibari had only just stopped dragging Tsuna off to brutal spars outside the town. As he promised Tsuna ceased holding back, or as much as he could bring himself to as Hibari wasn't an enemy, the times where one pinned the other was more than evened out, the Decimo was pushing Hibari to his limits (not that the former was aware). Still, that he was pinning a demi-human like Hibari much more often had to mean something. Was he [Tsuna] too strong? Was he going to hurt someone accidentally one day?

After talking over his insecurities with Fon, unaware of Reborn listening in, Tsuna found himself practicing more meditation arts with both Arcobaleno. The difference? One of them had the boy performing tai-chi on top of towering bamboo with a pit of unidentified and stinky matter at the bottom.

 **o o o**

SpannerText: _I've secured a good Sakura Viewing spot for today, Sora-chan. Make sure you drop by soon._

TsunaText: _It's four in the morning, what are you doing out so early?_

S.T: _Sakura Viewing is part of the Japanese experience. Make some Hanami Dango, would you?_

T.T: _It's FOUR in the morning. *FOUR* You're lucky I'm functioning well enough to text without sounding drunk. And that's thanks to autocorrect._

S.T: _Please? Please? Please? Times infinity?_

T.T: _I'll buy some before we go._

S.T: _It won't taste as good._

T.T: _Are you trying to drive me insane?_

S.T: _Not at all. If I were trying to drive you crazy I'd do it in a more... enjoyable way for the both of us alone._

Tsuna blinked sleepily and stared at the text, trying to puzzle out what his friend meant. It wasn't clicking and probably wouldn't click for a long while until Reborn goes through his phone and tells him.

T.T: _I don't understand. Fine, I'll make the darn dango, you fussy genius._

S.T: _Bring a camera and wear something nice._

T.T: _I'll wear whatever I want, now I'm going to sleep for another two hours._

 **. . .**

 **Time: 1:38 PM**

Tsuna, dressed in a short sleeved hoodie and jean shorts, stared at the strange sight before him and Hana was right there with him. Both had been caught off guard by Spanner sitting within perimeter of the cordoned off trees reserved by Hibari's Disciplinary Committee. Kusakabe had already escorted Ryohei to a scrawny looking sakura tree farther away, and the members of Tsuna's Pride capable of keeping their volume down were allowed to sit at the very, very edge of Hibari's excessively big claimed territory. To keep Ryohei from kicking up too much of a fuss Tsuna said he'd promise to give him a really good fight later, and Fon, along with Fuuta, thoughtfully took a box of Hanami Dango along on his way to sit with the boxer. I-Pin followed her master happily.

"Hana, have we maybe slipped into a weird mirror world?"

"If that's not the case than someone made the gorilla very happy and I think we know how that might be..."

"Someone... Spanner... turned his tonfa into weapons of mass destruction."

Both teens shuddered in unison.

The engineer in question waved to them from where he sat beside Takeshi, Kyoko, and Lambo. Bianchi had already set down her own sadly delicious looking poison cooking and Tsuna reached into his duffel bag to pull out the bottle of Vongola Iron Stomach pills to hand out to everyone but the Poison Cook herself since she likely had the stomach of a vulture. A single pill lasted an hour at least. Shoichi appeared a few minutes later with drinks and store bought Hanami Dango, and Tsuna quickly had him swallow a pill to survive any of Bianchi's cooking in case it was sneaked in.

At nearly two in the afternoon Hibari appeared. While not especially loud everyone in Tsuna's group quieted at his appearance and jaws dropped when the boy stopped thirteen feet from the gathered herbivores and threw a box at their Sky. Tsuna stuttered out a thanks and the prefect wordlessly went on his way to his much removed claimed tree far out of sight, leaving Gokudera quietly grumbling about rude bastards disrespecting the Juudaime.

Inside the magnolia patterned purple wood box was a gold piece of jewelry that nearly spanned the entirety of Tsuna's palm. It appeared to be a round and slightly heavy brooch, being capable of attaching to his hoodie with sturdy pins. There was a deep violet and fairly large gemstone with a smooth cut giving it a pale star in the middle. Surrounding the stone were two beautifully detailed dolphins chasing their tails, one with white pearls for the eyes and the other with black stones. No one bothered him as he examined his gift and quickly enough he noticed small hinges on the side and endeavored to gently open the locket-brooch. When he did a rolled paper fell out and landed in his lap.

Reborn jumped to his shoulder. "Let's have a look."

Tsuna deadpanned. "Shouldn't this be private?"

"I know who and what Hibari's mother is, so do it. You'll be surprised by what she wrote, I'm sure."

With a sigh, and knowing when to not fight against tiny forces of nature, Tsuna unrolled the silky paper and twitched slightly in surprise at both the length of the letter and the contents:

 _"Hello, young Decimo of the next Vongola. I am Mitsuko, Kyoya's mother. The locket-brooch you hold in your hand is something I had made when I was young and it is quite useful when it comes to absorbing and multiplying Flames. You could call it a batter of sorts. How you use it is up to you._ _Moving on, I feel the need to send a thank you for accepting my son into your heart, as that is the only way for a Sky to bond with a potential Guardian. Clouds are notoriously difficult to draw in with a Sky's Magnetism, so I feel it within my rights to say good job in catching my Mozu-kun's attention. You must be powerful indeed to keep him interested in you for so many years._

 _Within a month or two, perhaps three, I will issue you an invitation to visit the Hibari compound on the outskirts of Namimori. Mozu-kun will pick you up from your home and you will spend the day with us so I can evaluate your power and where you may need more help. Your tutor may come. I have always wished to meet with Reborn so it would be much appreciated. Send my regards to your mother, would you? I wish to meet her too sometime afterwards, as her cooking has made our days much more pleasant._

 _If all goes well, your Vongola will have an allie in the Irukaza."_

Tsuna bit his lip and gently rolled up the paper and put it back in the locket-brooch, which he then attached to his sweater and vowed to protect from any thieves even if it got him hospitalized or near death (at least he had complete faith in his ability to survive, survive, survive like a cockroach).

"Um... R-Reborn, is Hibari part of the Mafia?" Tsuna said under his breath.

"His mother retired from active duty due to mental health problems, but you could say he has high pedigreed."

"I can't say I'm surprised."

With the Skylark so far away there was only a distant rumbling as a tell that the Cloud was in a scuffle with someone strong. No one got up to check it out mainly because Tsuna had faith in his demi-human friend to beat anyone coming his way. How was he to know it was a fight with a certain pervert?

 **o o o**

Tsuna left the house with I-Pin and Lambo because the both of them had cleaned their rooms. Their payment was candy, of course, and when both children started pointing at the telephone pole above him, with Lambo saying that some funny men had a bad needle Tsuna told Lambo to go get the paintball gun.

Of course, by the time he returned I-Pin had helped Tsuna take out the invisible men (really, invisible suit wearing people!?) by knocking them to the ground and pointing where he had to slam a harsh hit to. Their suits short circuited and they were left twitching under the strain of a paralyzing Lightning fist. When Lambo returned with the paintball gun Tsuna told him he could shoot both the bad men all he wanted. Meanwhile Reborn appeared and informed the Decimo that these two were there to kill him.

Tsuna Text: _Someone just tried to kill me with a needle full of poison. I'm kind of... shocked but not surprised. You can have these guys, BTW, just not the tech-suits. Reborn is going to hand those over to Spanner and Shoichi. Also...Lambo is calling them ugly worms for trying to kill me. He's hardly around you, how did you teach him that?_

Hibari Text: _Your cubs have to learn how to be carnivores at some point, Anaguma. Better to learn from me._

"This is totally unnecessary you crazy Cloud! I teach them plenty..."

"Who are you moaning to, Baka-Tsuna? He's not here."

"Hibari is trying to teach Lambo and the other kids the ways of the _carnivore_ , sheesh... Eeep!"

Reborn's smile was too disturbing to describe.

 **o o o**

"Tsuna-kun, Tsuna-kun!" Haru burst into his room while he was reading a comic. "I know how I can help you!"

He sat up worriedly. Her definition of help was mostly weird, like the time she dressed up in a funky-looking monster costume and danced for him in his room because she wanted to make him smile. This, however, was back before Nobu reentered his life and contributed to his training.

"I'm Spanner-kun and Shoichi-kun's assistant from now on and I'm going to become a better hacker! They said they'd help Haru make her own robot too!"

Tsuna, bug-eyed, slipped off his bed and landed on his elbow. "A hacker!?"

Haru turned red and played with her fingers. "W-well, you see... I'm really impatient about waiting to buy manga so I hack into sites, st-steal files, and-and Haru never does anything but read manga with my skills, I swear!"

Tsuna raised his hand in a thumbs up as he smiled, just a touch tired by zaniness. Her enthusiasm was cute and he could see how determined she was to do something great under their guidance.

"Go for it. If they say you have potential and it makes you happy, I hope you do very well."

"HURK!" That's the sound Tsuna made when the energetic girl tackled him in a hug and then bolted from his room, leaving him sprawled on the floor in a starfish position. "... ow."

 **o o o**

Tsuna awoke on a Sunday morning to an English rock song.

He blinked away sleep from his eyes and spotted an eight inch dark teal monkey standing on his chest and looking down with big innocent looking eyes. Honestly, if it wasn't obviously made of metal (sporting a nice satin finish), colored blue, and if those clear topaz eyes had been brown, the bot would look like a real baby marmoset, as several patches of short silky faux-fur gave the illusion of almost being real. He and the monkey had a staring contest before it chirped, jumped down beside his head, and started grooming his hair like a real monkey might do. Tsuna couldn't help laughing.

"You like her, Sora-chan? Good."

"Ah!" Tsuna lurched up (startling the monkey-bot) and found Spanner sitting in his old spinning chair with that golden palm-top computer in hand. There was a slight smile on his face and a lollipop of some kind in his mouth. "You wanted something cool so there you go."

Tsuna sat up and tugged his tank top down below his navel. "It looks adorable. So that's why you asked me what my favorite monkey is."

Spanner climbed to his feet and made his way over to drop down on Tsuna's bed like he did it all the time. Having sat on his smaller friends legs he scooted back so he wasn't squishing him, and Tsuna was blushing and resisting the urge to push the engineer off his bed. He pulled his legs close, lightly nudged the blond in reprimand, and picked up the monkey only to be caught by surprise. It didn't feel as cool as Saruyuki and Sarumane, but that's probably already changed since Spanner made the small monkey as warm as any living being to the touch. His gift was also shockingly heavy for its small size.

"Sora-chan, want to know what she can do?" Spanner was staring at him expectantly, with a glitter in his blue eyes speaking of how eager he was to tell. "Hurry up and stop staring. You'll make me blush."

Tsuna's cheeks darkened and he looked to the marmoset-bot playing grooming the velvety fur of its tail (totally missing the brief little grin that crossed Spanner's face). "G-go ahead, what does this one do?"

"Do you know the anime _Chobits_?"

"Nope. Go on though." His blush was fading, thank Kami.

"Hm. This little one is like a highly advanced personal computer that can go anywhere with you. She recognizes your voice and the feel of your Sky Flames, and in fact she can absorb portions of it to store in her own ametrine core as a power source. Ask her to hack into, say, a bank and she'll get a million yen or euro for you."

"WHAT!?" Tsuna barely kept from flailing and stared bug-eyed at his friend. That's too much power!

Spanner ruffled Tsuna's hair and stretched. "She can but that doesn't mean you'll request it, right? She can also send emails that you verbally tell her like this... Hello Takeshi-dash-kun, comma, how are you today, question mark. And the email she composes will be as though you typed it. She also has a built in camera that will take photos on command, or when she feels like it, and she can record audio and videos too, also..." Spanner pulled out a small book held together with a single staple. "Well, everything is in here, so I'd keep it on you until you've memorized all that she can do. One more thing, she's just like Sarumane and Saruyuki in intelligence, so don't treat her like a baby. She doesn't like that, though she does like cuddles."

Tsuna held up a fist and Spanner smiled slightly as they did a 'bro fist'. "Now I've got to ask, what's with you and the monkeys? It's not bad, I think it's cute... I-I mean cool. So?"

Spanner moved and stretched out on the mattress, nearly pushing Tsuna off his own bed. The young Sky was acutely aware of Spanner's arm, bare due to the sleeves of a t-shirt cut off, touching his own. Tsuna swallowed hard and wriggled a bit until he was laying on his side and watching the engineer curiously. Spanner had his eyes closed in a relaxed way and he looked as content as he could be when not tinkering and immersed in his genius-work with Shuichi.

"You're staring, Sora-chan." He never even opened his eyes.

"Um... sorry." Tsuna's blush returned with a vengeance and the blue monkey-bot crawled up so 'she' could look into his eyes. "You look relaxed, that's all. It surprised me."

Spanner smiled and the tilt to his lips was more pronounced than usual. "Reborn explained to me what the whole deal is with the Sky and the other six Flames. It's one thing to be drawn to a Sky, that's very normal, but the individual must be open to a bond and be accepting of that person, be them Lightning or Storm." One rich green eye opened and took in the other's red face. "Some feel the bond differently, I'm told, but for me it's easy to relax around you and it feels pleasant just laying here beside you."

"Wh-why?"

Spanner's smile remained even as he reached up to pull out his- wrench shaped?- candy. "The only parent I knew was my grandpa but he couldn't support me alone, so I lived with my aunt and uncle and they weren't exactly... welcoming with my proclivity toward disassembling home appliances and making things. After gramps died they decided it wasn't worth keeping me. Not that it was too bothersome, they smothered my creativity."

Tsuna stayed silent and resisted the urge to either touch that hair curl or hug him.

"If I had to guess then I would say that being here like this is the closest to feeling safe and at home as I've ever felt."

"Oh..." Tsuna smiled shyly and reached out to give of Spanner's free hand a slight squeeze. "That's good, I'm happy you feel that way."

 **BAM!** "HIIIE!" Tsuna jumped up and in front of Spanner in a vague fighting stance before he stopped to notice it wasn't the usual threat. It was Reborn standing in the door with an amused glint in his soul-sucking ebony eyes.

"Baka-Tsuna, if you're done flirting with your mechanic it's time to train more."

Tsuna threw a pillow at the infant and yelled that he wasn't flirting, but the hitman merely left with a smirk on his baby face. He turned to look back at Spanner and swallowed at the peculiar spark in the other's eyes.

"You weren't flirting with me?"

"Wha!?" Tsuna grabbed his hair in slight horror. Was he really? Oh, Kami.

"Sora-chan, I'm joking. You wouldn't know when you're flirting, anyway. You really are like an innocent bunny."

The Decimo hung his head, hiding apple red cheeks. "Thank you for the gift, but could you please go pester someone else?"

"Only if you make me dango later."

"Okay, fine. Shoo!"

Much later on that day Tsuna learned about the monkey thing. Spanner considered primates to be interesting creatures because of the intelligence many possess. That and monkeys are far more flexible than, say, a crow a dolphin and they can climb. Much more useful. The mechanical genius was working on _flying monkeys_ , so there's that bit of chaos to look forward to...

 **o o o**

Tanabata. There was an odd feeling to the day and Tsuna dismissed it as nothing. Silly, silly boy.

He went to the shrine with Fuuta, Lambo, Fon and I-Pin (the latter two riding on the Decimo's shoulders) and together they all decided to write wishes on paper and not reveal it. Tsuna took the longest to make a wish for and he thought of making it a cheesy (heartfelt) one about his _Famiglia_ never breaking up, and instead he wrote a more whimsical (though real) wish about either gaining the courage to kiss someone he likes, or being kissed. He himself wasn't quite honest with himself as to who he liked.

Right as he put it down in the box with the kids the whole thing was snatched by Reborn who jumped onto the counter. Tutor and student stared at one another before Tsuna made a desperate grab for the box. The hitman nimbly jumped out of the way and told Tsuna to bring the kids to the community center and prepare to do a show. Great. Again with the performing!

"Papa, let's go home and find something!" Fuuta pulled Tsuna along while Fon, suspiciously quiet, sat on the kids shoulders.

"Yeah, Lambo-san must put on a great shoe!"

"You mean show, Lambo," Tsuna corrected tiredly.

"Lambo-san means that too!"

Fon chuckled and Tsuna squinted at the Arcobaleno. "Did you know he was planning this?"

"Oh, yes. I even have a plan for the two of us, if you'll cooperate."

"Um... only if you make sure that my wish isn't read out loud... please? I just know Reborn's going to do something mean."

The Storm Arcobaleno jumped to his shoulder and patted his cheek. "Of course, my precious _Xuéshēn_ _g[student]_ , but it will be interesting to see whether it comes true. Who would you want to kiss if you win?"

Tsuna tripped and barely kept from face-planting. "Th-that's a really inappropriate question! Why do you even want to know!?"

Fon hid his smile behind his sleeve. His student was really too adorable at times.

"Well? Why did you ask?"

"Do not worry, I was just being curious. That isn't a crime, now is it?"

 **. . .**

When Tsuna arrived with the kids and Fon it seemed everyone from his _Famiglia_ was there, even Shuichi Irie who was working up the courage to make it official.

Haru declared that her wish had already come true so she was going to be the announcer, and Reborn was dressed like a creepy old woman. Who was everyone performing for? A big group of elderly people and the Decimo had no choice because of a Leon-Jig threat and that it paid being in the favor of the older generations. Awesome.

Tsuna was also correct when it came to assuming that all wishes were being read aloud. Spanner's was for him to win all the robotics competitions and he had his monkeys juggle and play an English song called "Catch a Falling Star".Next up was Takeshi who juggled star shaped "balls" to mimic the Milky Way, and instead earned 70 for giving out sushi. His wish was to always be close to Tsuna and their _Famiglia_ which got the short Sky all flustered and hiding in his hood. Gokudera, who did not have his wish read aloud thanks to being quick with the snatching, chose to throw knives on a board into the shape of a five pointed star, then he flashed his lighter over the ends of the handles in a very quick move and they lit up in a flare of multicolored light that slowly went out. He recieved a 70 as well. Nobu went next and spent ten minutes talking about silly situations he's been in (such as nearly being adopted by a group of bottlenose dolphins) and shamelessly flirting with the women in the room with ridiculous pick-up lines ("If you were a burger at McDonald's you'd be the McGorgeous."). His wish was simple, and he wanted to be able to look after his "favorite little bunny" until he's driven everyone nuts and he's sent to the moon on a rocket. These literal words made Tsuna choke back a laugh.

Next was Ryohei, who was... a koala eating eucalytus leaves. Total fail, earned a two. Lambo shoved pieces of straws up his nose and stuck the bottom in his mouth and danced like a loon. It amused the elderly so Reborn grudgingly gave him a ten. Kyoko and Hana stepped forward and Haru announced that the female Sun's wish was to never 'disappoint the Sky in her life' which naturally had Tsuna's face exploding in red and made Fon chuckle. Hana's wish was to be the one saving Tsuna someday. This did not help with the blushing, and Tsuna tried not revealing how happy he felt over both their wishes. They recieved 85's for singing such a lovely rendition of Rakuen from Inuyasha. Fuuta balanced a ball on his nose for three minutes straight and got 50 points for managing and being adorable, according to the old women in the room.

"Next up is Tsuna-kun and Fon-chan, who wish for-" The Storm Arcobaleno darted over and snatched Tsuna's orange wish-slip out of her hand. "Hahi! Um, Fon-chan wishes for a certain student to succeed Nobu by a mile and more in skill. They will perform a staged fight for your viewing pleasure!"

Fon and Tsuna settled on the foam mat Gokudera helpfully rolled out for them. Tsuna was dressed in a black silk Tai-Chi outfit lined in amber and with a golden lion stitched over his heart while Fon wore his usual clothing. With a low bow their fight began with movements slow enough to be seen by the elderly. Each strike was weak as breath of wind compared to what they can do on average. The exchange of strikes and the way Tsuna would twist out of the way of a kick or a punch gave the whole fight an almost dance like appearance, but that was probably the classical-rock mix music Spanner played right as they began. More than once the two fighters sent each other punches that required the other to backflip out of the way which brought cheering from the elderly. Twice Fon threw Tsuna across the room only for the boy to twist mid-air so he could jump off the wall and straight at the little martial artist. At the five minute mark Reborn called it off and tallied the results of who won. The Sky was almost ecstatic for winning, but that meant trouble.

"Now for the awards ceremony," said Reborn. He was still dressed as a woman. "Nobu and Fon will work their student to the bone so he fulfills that wish, and as for Tsuna's..."

 _Don't say it, don't say it, DON'T SAY IT!_

"His wish involves either receiving a certain something from someone he likes or giving one, and it's a-"

"I'M OUT OF HERE!" Tsuna yelled over the last word, then took off like a bullet. Everyone stared at the lingering faint dust cloud in his shape.

Reborn grinned. "Baka-Tsuna's wish is a kiss. Now who should it be, I wonder?"

As the elderly tittered and gradually left the building Reborn turned to his student's _Famiglia_. "Tsuna's a girl at heart, he'll want the kisses to mean something special, not an accident. Have at it since I doubt he'll be brave enough to initiate one himself.*"

Fon shook his head from a worried looking Fuuta's shoulder. The Decimo had been right about the 'being mean' thing.

 **. . .**

Kyoko and Hana were walking each other home after the contest. Both were thoughtful and quiet, but Kyoko was the only one smiling.

"What if I said I... found the lion-monkey attractive?" said Hana with a forced nonchalance as looked through the photos on her phone.

"Same here, don't worry! Takeshi and Gokudera like him too. So does Spanner, he calls Tsuna-kun his little Nadeshiko-boy when he's not around."

Hana paused and nearly doubled over in laughter. "How have I never heard that? That is so true."

Kyoko looped her arm with Hana's. "The way Hibari looks at Tsuna-kun sometimes means he feels something for him too."

The Rain-girl almost stumbled. "Tsuna's really in for it, isn't he?"

A giggle was all the answer she recieved. "I believe so, but as his two best friends we have to protect his virtue, right?"

Hana snorted. "True. The one we really need to worry about is the gorilla though."

 **. . .**

"Tsuna has a really big heart."

Gokudera slid a nasty glare the swordsman's way. "And what about it? Watch what you say or I'll blow you up."

Takeshi grinned and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't think he could choose between any one person from the _Famiglia_ , if you get what I mean."

The bomber's jaw dropped and his cheeks flushed. "Sh-shut up, you pervert!"

"What! That means the both of us have a chance at being closer to him. Relax, you and I won't hurt him, in fact we'll have to watch out for him, haha!" Takeshi bumped his shoulder with the irate silverette. "He's kinda naive, you know?"

"Coming from _you_ , Mister Everything-Is-A-Game?"

Takeshi went quiet and his face closed off a bit as he became serious. Gokudera told himself it wasn't a trickle of unease he felt. Definitely not.

"Want to know something? The day Fuuta came into Tsuna's life was the day I figured out that things can never be a game when it comes to him. He was shot four times and still fighting when Hibari, Ryohei and I came into the park."

Gokudera nearly shivered when Takeshi turned a moderate glare on him. "This whole Vongola thing isn't a game, I know that. Tsuna feels better if he thinks I'm not being affected by it, you know? I'm going to keep smiling and laughing and finding ways to make _him_ smile when he's down."

There was a long silence as they continued walking. The Rain's expression calmed as he watched clouds obscure the darkening blue above.

"If... the Juudaime accepts... then m-maybe..."

Takeshi's looked at the bomber with a little smile on his face. "That's the spirit. Even if he doesn't accept everyone who cares a lot about him we can always still make sure he's happy."

Gokudera chewed his cheek for a moment. "Why are you so devoted to the Juudaime?"

"I'm pretty sure he saved me. When my mom died it was like... even with my dad at my side, as bad as it sounds, it felt like there wasn't anything worth sticking around for." Takeshi slid a pinched smile the Storm's way. "She was everthing to me. Taught me how to catch and throw and all the rules. Said I was going to go so far and see the world, and promised that she'd be there for me every step. Tsuna found me when I was trying to melt away into the rain. Brought me to his home, warmed me up, and then gave me a hug when he learned my mom was gone forever. Next to Nana he still gives the best hugs."

A hard look of determination tensed Gokudera's face as he turned to the swordsman and held out a hand. "Fine then. No matter what happens, we're there for Tsuna-sama, through whatever the fuck this filthy world throws his way."

Takeshi grinned and happily shook shorter teen's hand. "Good. Oh, hey, we finally agreed on something!"

"Shut up! God, I need a shower now..."

"Hahaha!"

 **. . .**

"Hey, little red guy," said Ryohei to Fon perched on his shoulder. "Is it extremely okay to wanna hug Tsuna close like a teddy? Or should I go run a thousand laps around Namimori in punishment?*"

"That depends. Would you want to cuddle him in the same bed?"

"Uh... yeah, totally. He's a great hugger and he smells like chocolate and the forest."

"He's not your blood brother, I believe it's okay. But let him come to you."

"EXTREME!" Ryohei jumped in the air, nearly dislodging I-Pin from his other shoulder.*

 **. . .**

"Irie-kun, should I assume I have a rival in love or are you completely straight?"

Shuichi choked on the milk he just bought from the store. "Ah, what!? Ts-Tsuna's cute... but I'm pretty sure I like Haru-chan better."

"Pretty sure? Care to elaborate?"

"Shut up, you weirdo..."

"..."

"Stop staring at me like that! I don't care if you get with him or not."

"Actually I don't mind sharing. It's fun making you squirm, Irie-kun."

 **. . .**

When Fon returned he found an amused Reborn sitting on the living room sofa with an expresso in hand. Fuuta was playing with an amethyst and practicing filling it up with his Cloud Flames, and vice versa with an emerald and his Lightning. The Storm Arcobaleno left I-Pin with the Ranking child and headed to Tsuna's room.

Ah, that's why Reborn looked so amused. Tsuna was a quivering lump under a duvet he must have pulled from the closet. The tiny blue monkeybot, "cleverly" named Aota was curled up on the pillow beside him.

"How much did they laugh?"

"None laughed, little _Lìshǔ_. They all seemed thoughtful, even your friend Ryohei."

Tsuna poked his head out. "First off, what does _Lìshǔ_ mean? Also, Ryo- _Aniki_ looked... thoughtful?"

"Oh, yes. He wondered whether it was extremely okay or wrong to want to hug you close like a teddy. He also thinks you smell nice."

Tsuna made a funny choking sound and once more buried himself under his blanket and pillow.

"If it helps at all I believe none of them will really force anything that you don't want." Even Fon felt a tickle of amusement but it was better to assuage fears than let them fester. "You have a very good relationship with them all as their Sky and the main part of it is wanting to make you happy."

"Oh... and _Lìshǔ_?"

"I called you a chinchilla."

Tsuna let out a smothered giggle and the present Arcobaleno decided he did a good job.

 **o o o**

The week following Tanabata was full of forced calm and ignorance on Tsuna's part. He kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, which he supposed would be someone asking for kisses and a relationship he wasn't sure he was ready for, but that didn't come. Kyoko and Hana teased him over little things in their playful, harmless, and sometimes physically affectionate way. Takeshi still gave him side-hugs and ruffled his hair, acting no different. Gokudera was a bit more defensive with people coming up and so much as bumping the Sky but that was it for him, and as for the rest they didn't really act out of their norm.

One difference between most of his _Famiglia_ was started when Spanner unwittingly set an example after he began foisting "spare" wrench-lollies on him at random, most notably in watermelon, peach and cola flavor. His favorites. Kyoko gave Tsuna a Sun-Lion bloom, which happened to be the name of the dandelion species she created with her Sun Flames, every other day. Hana gave him Peach Kit-Kat twice that week. Takeshi gave him salmon onigiri each morning knowing Tsuna usually rushed out now that Reborn was his alarm clock and liked watching the boy rush around in a panic each morning. Gokudera, treating things like a competition, saved up and bought Tsuna expensive chocolate and this was at the end of that week when Tsuna put his foot down in as calm and reasonable a way as he could.

He began with asking them to stop getting him stuff he did nothing to deserve, and this was the start and end of his 'putting that foot down' serious talk. When all that got him was some irritated looks from Hana and pouts from Kyoko and Takeshi, and a look of poorly masked fear on Gokudera's face, Tsuna floundered and relented. Nothing expensive, please. Wait for his next birthday, or Christmas, or other holidays encouraging gift giving. He was feeling like a spoiled brat with how they kept giving him sweets and other nice things.

Fortunately his _Famiglia_ relented there. Slightly. They didn't want his teeth falling out, right?

 **o o o**

It was your average summery day in Japan and it seemed like the very store windows were about to melt. Gokudera was out in the damn heat with the intention of buying ingredients for making more Sky-Bombs for his Juudaime (even though the ones given haven't been used yet) as well as more ammo for himself. He was being followed, however, and it was starting to bug the shit out of him. He knew Tsuna wouldn't hit first and ask questions later in this situation, but wow did he want to shove a dynamite down this bastards throat.

First chance the Storm got he grabbed the stalker and slammed him up against the wall with a forearm against his throat and a knife against the man's stomach.

"Tell me why you're following me. If I don't like your answer I can make it so no one finds you."

A whip grabbed his lower wrist and removed the threat of his knife. The whip could only mean one person and Gokudera turned with an exasperated face to see the smiling blond.

"What do you want? I'm busy." He stepped away from the shaking subordinate who obviously belonged to the Bucking Bronco since that whip worked right in his hand.

Dino grinned and five minutes later he and Gokudera were seated in a cool cafe.

"I just got back from Italy and I have a proposition for you. Let's discuss it in... that cafe across the street."

As soon as their drinks and snacks were set down Dino pulled out an official looking paper with a symbol resembling two artistically designed suns within a shield crest.

"Let me spell it out for you. The di Sole Family knows about your skill with chemicals, explosives, and your natural intelligence. They want you in their ranks. You would be high up, have your own lab, and your own subordinates to command. You would have all the money you could want in order to make whatever you can think up."

Gokudera picked up the paper and looked it over. Dino could see a tension in the boys shoulders and as the seconds ticked by there was a growing acridness to the air that set the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. Before Dino could say it was just a test Gokudera had crumpled the paper in one fist and in that same one a harsh burst of red flame appeared, turning the paper to ashes. This shocked Gokudera and the boy's jaw dropped. In a blink the Flames were gone.

Dino coughed and made the bomber jump. "Just so you know, this was a test and you passed. With a bonus, so congrats!"

 _Juudaime wouldn't want me blowing up his "brother", time to get the hell out of here._ Gokudera glowered at the Chiavarone Boss, flipped him two middle fingers, and then stalked out to go buy candy for his Tenth and the kids. Making them happy always brought a smile to the Sky's face, and seeing Tsuna-sama's smile would make his anger go away.

 **. . .**

Reborn, sitting on a roof with a coffee-flavored lollipop, smirked as he watched the scene through one of Dino's shirt buttons. His plan to awaken Gokudera's Flames went perfectly.

 **o o o**

There were three attacks in the paper. Male students from Namimori were beaten badly and had teeth stolen. Nana was paranoid about 'her boys and girls' being alone at night so she made sure to remind them, as they trickled through her household to greet her or snag a meal or two, to stay in pairs and keep alert. Who knows what the attacker could look like!

Nana was alone with Fuuta today. Bianchi was likely with Reborn as the Poison Cook teen wasn't needed as often with the Sawada matriarch capable of inspiring much more than simple primal, mind-bending terror with the force of her protective maternal rage. Fon was with I-Pin and Lambo, taking both kids on a hike in the forest to play training games, and Spanner's pretty monkey-bot Saruyuki was the only other protector there for Fuuta. Tsu-kun and the rest of his friends were all doing various things on a Sunday, but the woman suspected they were all working to become stronger for one another. Kyoko and Hana doing the same made Nana feel all kinds of happy for them, and when she recalled that Kyoko once told her she did it for Tsuna the Sawada matriarch had to resist crying.

It was all so wonderful. Before her boy came home from school telling her he made two friends with a pair of girls Nana had been resigned to seeing her child only half as happy as he could be thanks to the damage Timoteo had done. Thanks to what her husband had allowed.

It took years for her to come to grips with it even though she had watched, curious about the light show, as her husband held their little boy out to Timoteo, and when she accepted that her once perfect husband had allowed, without a single word or action of protest, she remembered feeling the little "fire" she'd held for him flicker and weaken rather fast, and it had alarmed her and caused an early, and peculiar, stirring of the Mist Flames behind her breast. This having been months after Iemitsu's last visit, the day Tsuna came home with cuts, bruises and covered in filth. He hadn't lied to her that day, he had called the police and then called Hibari and that sweet-but-silly Ryohei to rescue them. Nana hadn't liked the implications her own mind came up with for why Iemitsu would come home and then leave an hour after Tsu-kun came home from rescuing friends from a large group of kidnappers. When Shamal had told her about Mists he mentioned how they appear to be far more in tune with the ethereal world and bouts of insightful instinct, which is understandably considered abnormal. It had been her Mist Flame obscuring the breaking Harmony between her and Iemitsu, but the man had skirted saying why and Nana hadn't pressed.

Reborn told her months ago that she was something of a Guardian to her boy, a particularly strong Mist drawn to a stronger Sky is understandable, and Tsuna being her son made the shift inevitable. Nana was happy to hear this. A part of her still loved Iemitsu, likely always would, but she was much more aware now. His faults were clearer without the "fire" connecting her with him and an concerned question to Reborn ("Is it possible for a Harmony bond to manipulate someone's emotions?") got her an answer that broke her heart. Skies below a certain purity can do that, but one like Tsuna is incapable of forcing his heart onto another to make them change to how they want. Iemitsu may not have known what he was doing when he met and Harmonized with her unawakened Mist, but it still happened and Nana wondered if the 'bond' was why she so willingly trusted Timoteo with her child despite his softer, almost timid, attitude around the old man...

With a heavy sigh the woman leaned on her kitchen counter and wished she could have saved her Tsu-kun from all those broken bones, bleeding cuts, and the self-hate he developed after that accident with the freshly boiled water. The scars weren't too noticeable, just a pink smoothness on the back of her hands and her lower legs. Tsuna had far less scarring, having stumbled a bit of the way out of the splatter range and clung to the table. He never forgave himself for any of the accidents and narrowly avoided lethal events of their lives. And Nana could never forgive Timoteo for how her boy grew up feeling so unhappy.

"Hmm, this is no good," she said to herself, with a sad little smile. "A mother's job is to keep her family smiling, happy, and healthy. I can think about this later in bed."

Nana went into the fridge discovered that her plan for yakiniku later was a no-go unless she went out shopping with her 'grandchild' right then. A part of her was worried about stepping out of the house, but showing any fear leaving home would do no good. She could not make that example for any of the kids.

"Fuuta-kuuun! Grab some of your allowance, we're going shopping!"

From upstairs came a thump, the sound of a glass falling, and two minutes later Fuuta came running down with a frog-shaped little money bag in hand. Nana was already standing by the door with her book-bag sized Vongola-Purse slung over her shoulder. Inside was money, a list of needed ingredients, and a 'Vongola Edition' black marble rolling pin, a gift from Reborn. How it fit inside her not-deep-enough bag wasn't very touched upon, but the little hitman had hinted that Nana's belief in her needing it, that her specially-created purse will carry it because it _has_ to, and her sheer will-power caused the rolling pin to fit perfectly and not obstruct her wallet or list. Since it worked she wasn't about to question it.

" _Zia, zia_ , can we please get some green tea mochi ice cream?" Fuuta clung to her arm, looking his absolute cutest. "I had a dream about it last night and I really _, really,_ want some! Please?"

"Oh, I can't say no to that face! Call for Saruyuki-chan and come along~!"

* * *

 *** TANABATA: This was more to make Tsuna acknowledge, at least in some small part, that what he feels for his friends is (in his mind) somewhat reciprocated. More in-his-face obviousness in the next chapter.**

 *** About Ryohei: That was to test the waters. If enough of you don't like it then that's fine, I won't be bothered. Part of it's for the humor aspect, part of it is serious, but** _ **please**_ **say something if you're really averse to 3327 or 2733.**

 **THANKS TO: 1827shipper, general zargon, Kuroi Rin, MissSexyRain, Zivyx, EndlessChains, Hime-chan Natsumi, Littlest1, BlackxDragonxEmperor, beulah2013, vampireharry the 2, Yana5, wingedsilverfang222 (how on earth did you twin a review?), topazel, LioPyro1890, and Lioness32 for your reviews!**

 **Thank you to those who put this on follows and in their favorites too!**

 **EDIT: Thank you Littlest1 for pointing out the "pack" mistake I missed!**


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**THANK YOU: JUST SET ME ON FIRE, Littlest1, Yana5, drago123, Darkest Melody, Kuroi Rin, general zargon, L's Cappuccino, 7, Stara-chi, vampireharry the 2, Animaddict, EndlessChains, demonsLOver, ob1292, Woa27, TheVictoryAngelofStrife, Arashi - IV of VI, Akayuki Novak, Yumi014, MissSexyRain, Zivyx, Noel, Daku-DarkNess316, Fire-Breathing Penguin, marisme-ice, RavenWhiteMoi, Glaindy, and KurohoshiX.**

 **AND: Thanks to those who put this on favorites and follows. :)**

 **Noel** **: I'm glad you like the way I've done things! As for Fuuta, well, he calls Tsuna papa because that's how he feels, but in his experience grandma's are old and wrinkly, and Nana is young and beautiful, so he thinks of her as an aunt. Children's logic. And because I like the way zia sounds. :D**

 **To Other Anonymous People:** **Thanks for taking the time to read and review. Those who enjoyed it, I'm glad you did. Don't be afraid to offer constructive criticism or put forth questions you have on anything that confused you. :) I am confident I've done some stupid's in the short history of this story.**

 **ON 3327 (and vice versa): C** **oncerns over Ryohei's characterization are very, very valid. I'm not sure I could keep him completely In Character. As such I want to be cautious and continue things as they have been with hints, and the bond between Tsuna and Ryohei will hopefully come across as something like a bromance more than anything because that's what I want before and obvious romance. IF, IF, I can write them (as in non-"canon" omakes) and feel I've done okay with it, I'll see about becoming more serious about the pairing B-U-T they won't have moments like the hot-and-heavy stuff between Hibari and Tsuna. Tuna and Boxers relationship will be more innocent than that, more about cuddles and hugs and making each other smile, or at least that's how I see it. **

**IF YOU SKIPPED LE CHUNK OF TEXT** **: All of it amounts to Tsuna and Ryohei's relationship being tight and pretty innocent, and that I** _ **will**_ **try to put a bit of something more for them, starting mostly with omakes to further test the water. Also, their relationship won't** **be expressly romantic and definitely not sexual like the Hibari encounters of earlier. Sorry if I've disappointed anyone!**

* * *

 _ **"I am about to show you what happens when you screw with one of my kids. You should probably brace yourself, this is going to hurt." ~ eCard.**_

* * *

Everything was going well at first.

Nana, Fuuta, and the pretty white and gold monkey-bot had gone through the shopping without trouble at all. Piero had appeared before they stepped into the grocery store and mewled a familiar plaintive cry for fish that she happily ate while held in Fuuta's arms.

It was in a park, another quiet forested area with no jungle gym, where things went wrong. Fuuta had wanted to feed the squirrels some bread before going home and so Nana said they would stay for a minute or two while going into the park a little ways from the bustling street. Piero, finished her piece of haddock, had been stalking around them with her head held high and her two-toned eyes sharp as they surveyed the trees and bushes for threats. Then the cat hissed and puffed out as she jumped closer to Fuuta, and Nana quickly drew up her Mist as she grabbed for the boy. One slightly trembling hand was dipped into her purse and gripping the handle of her rolling pin.

Only Nana and Piero could see the two blurs that rushed out of the bushes, and to Fuuta's protectors there was a discernible aura of Mist marking the presence of an illusion. With adrenaline flooding her system, Nana was quick to yank out her weapon and swing it at the blond figure heading right at her. There was a loud crack and a yowl of pain from the attacker as she hit his head, and right then a spray of needles hit her arm and chest. Nana released her hold on her Mist, flooding the park and concentrating on them. Cries of terror followed as she slipped to her knees, only half aware of Fuuta's begging for her to run as he tugged on her arm. Piero took that opportunity to launch herself at the blond and her claws shredded at his chest and neck, knocking him out of his pained stun. Nana couldn't find the strength to move, it was dwindling away despite the gentle heat of her Mist burning high within her.

The fast cat dodged the blond's swipes easily until she was hit with needles, most of which glanced off her fur, that slowed her down just enough.

Blond-boy roared, grabbed Piero's scruff with clawed fingers and threw her into a tree, leaving the cat mewling in pain and unable to move. Tsu-kun's heart would break if she died and Fuuta was taken, and Nana tenaciously clung to consciousness as she gripped her rolling pin, imbued it with bright Mist, and managed to graze the blond with one more hit. He screeched in pain and collapsed, convulsing as her illusion took hold, making him feel like electrifying needles were digging deep into his back. Nana was sprawled out and slightly twisted by the force she had swung with.

Fuuta grabbed up the rolling pin and glared at beanie-hat boy with a shocking amount of anger for a usually sweet and courteous child. Purple flames flared up around the the Vongola Rolling Pin and there was a flicker of interest in the remaining taller male. He knelt and quickly knocked the twitching blond out with a pinch to his nerve and dodged the boy's first swing. Nana was losing her consciousness after that, with black edging over her vision like an encroaching shadow.

She hadn't seen what he attacked her with before. It was a pair of strange metal yo-yo's. One of them wrapped around Fuuta before he swing again, immobilizing her boy's son. With that Nana fainted.

Fuuta writhed and cursed with the same flare as his papa whenever the Sky stubbed his baby toe too badly. Chikusa thought he would have a moment to think until that white and gold monkey-automaton near the side attacked, forcing him to lock the painfully constricting wire of his yo-yo around the kid so he could let go and dodge. Chikusa was far from ungainly despite his height of 6'0, and thanks to the agonizing experiments done by the Estraneo he was strong, fast, and had exceptional reflexes not seen in normal people. He recieved nothing more than four scratches from golden robotic claws before Chikusa dodged out of the way of what was unmistakably martial arts and used his other yo-yo on it, wrapping the robot in lethal wire and slicing through enough of it to make the nuisance a non-threat. The monkey's head rolled to the side and turned off.

" _Zia!_ _Zia_ , wake up! You're g-gonna be okay!"

The Ranking Child wriggled on the ground, trying to inch his way toward the unconscious, sweet looking woman who had fought so fiercely for him. There were tears dripping down the child's face, a bleeding scratch on his cheek, and there was such desperation making his voice crack. The wires bit into his flesh the more he moved, heedless of the pain and blood trailing thickly along the thin metal and coloring the grass. Being a calm and rational Rain, Chikusa could see that Master Mukuro could have a use for this woman of such strong Mist Flames, and certainly he would be interested in her only because of the power she possesses. As the Ranking Child was the only one needed right then, and he couldn't carry three people without being too inconspicuous, Chikusa decided it was better to give her the antidote.

It had absolutely nothing to do with those tears or the thick smell of blood he had drawn from a child.

Chikusa knelt by the target, Fuuta he reminded himself absently, and placed a gentle hand on his head, startling the kid and making him freeze.

"Please relax, I will give her the antidote." And he did just that, pulling out a small siringe with green fluid to inject into her neck. Fuuta watched intently and only relaxed as the abnormal pallor of his aunt's face grew into a healthier flush. "There, she will live. You are still coming with us."

"Will Piero live? Th-the cat?"

Chikusa stared at him before eyeing the needles glinting on the ground. Those were the ones he sent at the beast and judging by how many lay in the grass, only three at most hit and that was only if the fur hadn't stopped it all. He didn't care to inspect the cat and guessed that at least one reached its skin since it wasn't moving.

"It will live. The poison is geared toward killing humans. Animals have more of a natural immunity and it did not get a full dose."

Fuuta's lip was bleeding from how hard he bit himself, but he nodded and ignored the harsh pain of wires slicing into his bare arms. Chikusa knocked the boy out with a pinch like his idiotic partner, and after signaling Lancia, were all headed through Namimori with a moderate use of the Shadow Step Technique keeping them from being noticed.

 **. . .**

Tsuna, in Nagakusa park, was seated on the grass with Takeshi, Gokudera, Kyoko, Hana, and Ryohei sitting cross-legged around him like kindergarten class. The little blue monkey-animoid-computer, Aota, was perched on a branch above and recording them simply because she wanted to. Everyone was practicing with Vongola Crystals because Tsuna was interested in seeing whether anyone had more than one Flame type. It seemed like no one had any other affinities (aside from Hana and her secondary Cloud) until Gokudera shouted in triumph and eagerly shoved four jewels under his nose: blue tourmaline, green flourite, purple spinel, and a yellow topaz- all glowing with individual Flames.

"Juudaime, what do you think?"

He brought to mind an excited puppy, Tsuna couldn't help himself. He reached over and gently brushed his fingers through Gokudera's hair with a grin, enjoying the happy smile he put on the taller teens face with that soft touch.

"I'm glad you're happy with this, Gokudera-kun! I'm sure you can do a lot of great things."

Gokudera dropped the glowing crystals and clasped his hand. "Once I master all these Flames, Juudaime, I can protect you all the better! Maybe then I'll be worthy of becoming your Right Hand man!"

Takeshi threw his arm around Tsuna with a grin, tucking him close and pulling him away from the bomber in one move. "Shouldn't the best friend be his Right Hand? Kyoko, Hana and myself have more dibs than you! Ahaha! Oh, and so does Hibari!"

A blush colored the Sky's cheeks and he ducked away from his friend. "It's going to be a long time until I declare _anyone_ being my Right Hand, arm, whatever!"

Hana moved closer and lightly elbowed him with a playful smile. "If anything _I_ should be your Right Arm, eh, lion-monkey? You need someone level-headed and all the other great things I am."

Kyoko crawled closer and threw her arms around Tsuna, eliciting a quiet eep and a darker blush from him, and she giggled. "If Hana-chan gets to be your Right Hand, I'm your Left. I'll keep Tsuna-kun safe and happy!"

Ryohei threw his fists in the air with yell of "YOSH!" and he jumped up, punching the air hard and fast enough to send a small shockwave through the air to splinter a tree's bark. "I'll take down everything coming at us! Nothing'll touch Kyoko, Tsuna, or any of us!"

A bit embarrassed by all the attention and touching, Tsuna turned away and came face to face with a smirking Reborn who said something in what sounded like Russian with a distinctly teasing tone. How unfair. Before the Decimo could say a word to anyone, like to give him some breathing space _please_ , his blushing really had to stop, he went pale as a choking wave of cold Intuition churned his stomach in a nauseating way. He hunched forward and held his mouth as the need to get up and run toward some place he didn't know hit him.

"Juudaime!" Gokudera and the others crowded a bit closer in their concern.

"Tsuna-kun, what's wrong, what are you sensing?" said Kyoko. The warm touch of her Sun was rubbing his back.

Through a concerted effort of will Tsuna did not go rushing off like the hounds of hell were trying to bite off his scrawny butt. He gently shook off their touches and pushed through Ryohei and Takeshi to press his palm against a tree. His hand was singeing the bark as Sky-Lightning in his skin pushed to lash out at an unknown enemy. It took Reborn jumping onto his shoulder and slapping his cheek with ruler-Leon to snap him out of it and regain control.

"Baka-Tsuna, lead the way before I shoot you."

Everyone was on their feet by this time and Kyoko had thoughtfully gathered the Vongola Crystals into their velvet bag. Tsuna turned and looked everyone over with fearful glowing amber eyes. He nodded once and took off, conscious of their following behind. A five minute run left him and the rest entering a little used park to find his mother unconscious and surrounded by groceries.

Fuuta's froggy money bag was laying beside a short streak of crushed grass colored a drying rusty-red in patches. Tsuna froze at the sight, locking his body in place to keep the desire to tear apart the area trapped inside. Hana gathered fallen groceries along with Takeshi as Reborn inspected the scene, and the Sasegawa siblings immediately set to healing Nana. Tsuna's eyes turned to a silver lump half obscured by tall grass. His self-imposed paralysis was broken and he bolted forward to pick up his cat with shaking arms. He hurried to Reborn and knelt, tongue too tied with rage, terror and pain to verbally ask him for a healing. The Arcobaleno didn't need to hear his plea and Piero's broken body was healed into perfect condition. She remained unconscious, however, much like his mother.

"W-we need to find who took Fuuta," Tsuna said, voice rough and broken by the effort not to growl. "We find them... and teach that bastard to never touch my _Famiglia_."

 **. . .**

In sixty minutes nearly everyone following Tsuna gathered at his home.

Kyoko's weapons were white combat gloves made from thick _Dying Will_ silk courtesy of Reborn's Leon, and the each glove contained powdered precious-steel sewn into every inch of it. Her outfit consisted of a grey tank top and multi-pocket black cargo's held up by a belt holding a pair of semi-automatic dart guns, with extra ammo in each pocket. Hana was dressed similarly with a blue top and grey pants, and her long hair was braided back. On her hips rested two genuine guns, while her fists sported black combat gloves, and custom open-toe shoes. Ryohei was dressed in easy-to-move in camouflage and sported heavy _Dying Will_ silk black boxing gloves filled with powdered precious-steel. Takeshi wore a samurai-like outfit, minus obvious armor, and had the pale-metal sword Reborn gave him months ago. Gokudera was dressed his usual clothes and had packed extra explosives, as well as his chemical bombs just in case he got the chance to use one. Tsuna wore his black and orange martial arts outfit with the X27-Gloves already gracing his hands.

Hibari had been missing for a day according to Reborn. Worry for the Cloud was adding to everything else. Fortunately Bianchi and Fon were remaining behind to watch over I-Pin, Lambo and his madre.

Spanner soon drove up in green bus painted with orange flames. Everything was quiet on the drive to Kokuyo Land, the place where Reborn's tracking device said Fuuta was being held. Tsuna sat at the back with Reborn, and to keep calm the boy concentrated on a blue chalcedony full of Takeshi and Hana's Rain. Beside him Reborn stroked Leon to keep his itchy trigger fingers from twitching.

 **. . .**

Spanner dropped them off outside of Kokuyo Land, and the genius mechanic quietly asked Tsuna to keep Aota on or near him so she can record the proceedings. The Sky nodded absently, telling the engineer to drive back carefully. Thinking to ask why a fourteen year old knew how to drive in Japan was something that would hit later, and even then he would shrug and think, "Well, it is Spanner."

The troubles delaying them from reaching Fuuta through a massive broken amusement park would feel like forever.

First was Hana who volunteered to fight a pair of freaky bastards called the Bloody Twins by a creepy bird man who ordered them to attack. Working off his Intuition, Tsuna nudged Kyoko forward to join Hana in the fight and said he would intervene if he felt he had to. The girls worked beautifully together, fluid movements combined with controlled deadly force. Neither girl allowed the twins to remain close to one another and with Hana's Rain weakening the inhuman looking men in green uniforms, the Bloody Twins were defeated in three minutes and left temporarily paralyzed for Gokudera to tie them up.

The eerie man named Birds had disappeared somewhere earlier, but a large flock of tiny yellow puffball birds were slowly flying away like a signal and Tsuna's Intuition said the man had been defeated. Probably by Reborn as the little hitman had disappeared from his shoulder briefly, and literally, one minute beforehand.

As the group advanced onward they met with a feral looking blond who pointed out Takeshi as his chosen "prey". The swordsman placed his hand on Tsuna's shoulder and promised he would win, and the fight wasn't a very long one at all. A few Rain-laced cuts here and several well-placed slams with the side of his blade to the blond's limbs left the guy beaten and broken, and Takeshi had enough conscience to drag the enemy away from a long, long drop down a hole.

Gokudera fought a yo-yo wielding boy. It was certainly a tricky battle that the Storm had to get creative in, using deception and a lot of running around, to hit the yo-yo wielder and keep his attention off the audience, and with the amount of wind he could not use his chemical bombs. Gokudera was hit with a blast of needles when he took a hit meant for Kyoko, and though he liked the girl and her dedication to their boss just fine, he did it to protect the Juudaime from the heartbreak of losing a friend. Gokudera quickly recognized the burn of poison and he turned to Tsuna, choking out an apology before he fainted*. Angry, the Decimo stepped forward with Reborn still perched on his shoulder, and activated his gloves with eyes blazing.

"This won't be a long fight, Beanstalk," he said, voice low and almost rumbling with his suppressed emotions.

"I agree. You won't last long."

Whatever the enemy expected it wasn't for Tsuna to blur in close and slam his already damaged body with a Lightning-Sky palm, knocking him unconscious in one go. He knelt and went through the boy's clothing and came away with several small needles of green fluid that he held out to Reborn.

"That should be the antidote. Someone will have to stay back and watch over him."

The needles were gone in a blink and Tsuna looked up to see Hana, her eyes burning an icy blue in a face twisted by anger. "Tsuna-monkey, I'll protect Gokudera with my life. You go save Fuuta and kick ass."

Tsuna took the time to truss up Beanstalk, then gave her a hug before he and the remaining company moved on. Kyoko and Ryohei chose to walk a little ahead by this time and were on high alert. A short time later when the boxer threw himself toward the group and Kyoko back-flipped to stand in front of Tsuna, it was obviously time for another fight as right where they were standing and waiting for the others to catch up, a rock exploded into shards.

"Wow, you all give dumbasses such a bad name," said a bob-haired redhead leaving the trees to the left. In her hands was a clarinet. "Chikusa and Ken are both weak _imbéciles_ for having lost to you. I'll show you boys and one silly girl how a real woman fights!"

Kyoko tilted her head at the obvious challenge and stepped forward while speaking in a deceptively sweet voice, "Well, then I guess I should be your opponent!"

Tsuna could almost taste the poisonous difference in Kyoko's tone. Back in Mafia Land it had been a mock battle, no one was in serious danger, but here there was Fuuta at stake. Here Gokudera had been incapacitated by poisoned needles that needed an antidote.

The young woman introduced herself as M.M. and she started out her fight explosively, making the ground where Kyoko stood burst up in flying bits of flaming grass and old wood. Kyoko rushed in, her Sun burning powerfully inside and upping her already remarkable strength. M.M. dodged one hit and watched with jaw dropped as Kyoko's fist slammed through a thick tree and broke it in half, and from then on fight between M.M. and the Sun-girl was about dodging soundwave attacks and large pieces of thrown wall and rocks. At the four minute mark Kyoko grew visibly impatient and decided to take a leaf out of her big brother's favorite manga and pushed Sun into her fists until they was blazing brightly, then she rushed at the agile enemy and slammed one fist into the ground near her. At the same time she released the gathered Sun Flames in hopes of causing the earth to fracture.

Augmentation can be applied to many things, such as enhancing intelligence, strength, and the growth rate of plants. Kyoko tried to apply Augmentation to what was already going to be a magnificent earth shaking hit, and caused thirty feet of shattered earth to erupt, prompting Tsuna and the others to dive behind trees and boulders. M.M. stood no chance and was knocked out by chunk of flying rubble.

A dazed Tsuna, laughing Takeshi, and ecstatic Ryohei left their hiding places. Privately Reborn pondered how to go about choosing dual Guardians for two Flames.

"EXTREME! Kyoko, you're just like Sakura-chan from Naruto!"

After dusting off her hands Kyoko returned to the group and handily healed a cut on Tsuna's cheek with one stroke of her finger. No one knowledgeable about the series commented on why it could be a horrific development if she _did_ become just like Haruno Sakura*.

 **In Kokuyo Hideout**

Before he left the room an apathetic looking man, tall, heavily scarred, and marked by tattoos, had bandaged Fuuta's shallow wounds. The boy was tied to a chair and glaring at the blue haired teen with heterochromatic eyes. Said older male was simply smiling and looking as creepy as he was handsome and Fuuta knew his papa would like him about as much as anyone loved root canals.

"Capturing you got me much more than I bargained for, little Ranking Child," said the teen as he played with a wilting cherry blossom. His silky voice sent an unpleasant shiver through Fuuta and his defiant glare did not relent. "Fortunately you are the honey drawing in prey I sought for anyway."

Now the child's angry composure broke and he paled. "Tsu-Tsuna*! You're after the Vongola!"

"Kufufufu~! You're a smart one, I like that. Once I take control of one head I take control of the crown of darkness he holds."

Fuuta was trembling. "Ts-Tsuna is strong. He won't lose to you!"

"Oh, but he will. You're dear to him, aren't you? Would be risk losing you?"

"Yes!" No. "He's too great to fall for a trick like that!"

"Kufufufu. Your voice says otherwise, little mouse."

 **Decimo and his Friends**

There was a man standing in everyone's way. He called himself Rokudo Mukuro and Tsuna's Intuition rejected that entirely. The man had a weapon, a strangely shaped metal ball on a chain and the snake like deep grooves on the sphere gave Tsuna one bad feeling.

"He's mine, I have to fight him," he said, voice firm and soft. "All of you move back and out of the way. This might get ugly."

X27-Gloves blazed into gauntlet form and Tsuna stared the man down for a moment. "What is your real name?"

Mechanical voice, low and monotone. "I am Rokudo Mukuro, and I'm here for your head, Decimo."

Tsuna drew his hybrid Flame to the surface, hardening his skin, and cautiously attacked first to see what this mystery man could do. Immediately a chain lashing out at him made it so the young Sky had to dodge and flip out of the way, and right after that the large metal ball came rushing at him with a massive wind current surrounding it like a miniaturized tornado. Tsuna was sent spinning through the air and crashed through two trees before the attack ceased. The Decimo hurried out to place himself between the man and where he knew his friends were observing out of sight.

Romu, as Tsuna mentally dubbed the shirtless and scarred man, had dead looking eyes. "Now you know to abandon all hope, for there is no path for you to walk in which you still exist."

"TSUNA!" Takeshi's voice filled the large clearing. "His ball makes whirlwinds because of the grooves on the steel! Be careful, we know you can beat him!"

"That wasn't even a third of my strength, young Vongola. Simply knowing the trick won't preserve your life. Once you are dead... I will finish off those hiding in the trees."

Images of his friends laying broken, bleeding and dead flashed through Tsuna's mind. He would not have that, not now and not ever. His body crackled with the amber electricity as he shed the mental shackles of needing to hold back because it was either he let this man win to go on and kill his _Famiglia_ , or he becomes the brutal protector he needs to be.

Tsuna let out a growl and instead of the hybrid, his gauntlets blazed with pure Sky as he blurred forward right as Romu sent the snake-steel-ball flying at him. From Takeshi's shoulder Aota the monkey-persocom recorded audio and video, zoomed in and captured Tsuna, not in DWM, catch the steel ball in his hands and wrench Romu forward, unsettling his stance enough for the Decimo to quickly grab the chain and melt through it. One might assume that Romu was defenseless without his Steel Serpent Ball, but he was proficient in hand to hand combat and physically powerful, more than enough to keep Tsuna on his toes as they exchanged blows and dodged each others hits. As this part of the fight went on longer than a minute Tsuna came to a startling realization - this man, whoever he is, didn't want to kill him or anyone. There was no bloodlust, no enjoyment in the fight that a twisted killer would feel, and there was even an edge of reluctance to every hit that landed on the boy. What formed an idea was how Tsuna, more sensitive in some ways when imbued only with Sky*, could feel that there was something wrong inside Romu's mind.

It had to be eradicated.

While Sky is the hottest possible Flame it does not always burn. Intention and will changes the temperature of it and Tsuna's goal was not to burn the _man_ alive. He rushed Romu and, through the element of surprise as he wasn't expected to us a tackle-move, managed to grab Romu's head with both hands. The could only grab Tsuna's slim wrists in his hands, grinding the bones and bruising, before the feel of Sky Flames, so painfully familiar, began easing away a terrible cold that had manipulated him for years. Once it was gone Romu let go of the boy, allowing his hands to fall to the ground as he shuddered briefly.

There was absolute silence for a minute as Tsuna rolled off of him and checked the man for injuries needing healing, fortunately there were only minor burns and bruises. Then "Romu" opened his eyes they showed a black almost glowing with the light of free thought and life.

"My name... is Lancia, young Decimo."

What followed was a short but heart-wrenching story. The man, an orphan, was taken in by a kind _Famiglia_ and became a protector, and was soon known as the strongest man in Northern Italy. One day his boss brought home a small kid who became Lancia's responsibility and this boy, Rokudo Mukuro, later used Lancia's body as a tool of murder. Mukuro made Lancia kill his own _Famiglia_ and for years afterward Lancia was taken over and used that way again and again. Perhaps it was a mercy that he could not recall the actual acts, only the aftermath scenes. Horrified doesn't begin to touch upon what Tsuna felt.

"Young Vongola... Mukuro's objective is to possess you like he did me. In your body he would take over the mafia world and then destroy everything. He wants... to bathe the world in blood."

"Okay, thank you for telling me this, Lancia-san," Tsuna said, kneeling beside the man who was still sitting on the ground. "I'm going to find Mukuro and beat him to within an inch of his life, get back my kid, and then you and I are going to talk about how I can help you."

Lancia's eyes bugged and he stared. "Wh-what?"

"Would you please go find my friends?" Though weak, the young Sky's smile was genuine. "One is a silver haired boy recovering from poison, another is a black haired girl dressed like my blond friend over there."

"But..."

Tsuna stood and pulled Lancia to his feet, then held the man's eyes steadily. "You're still a good man all these years later. I know I can trust you to find them and protect them from anything too much for them to handle."

Instead of eating up more of the boy's time Lancia's face set in determination and he ducked his head. "In repayment for freeing me I will protect them."

 **. . .**

"That was a gamble, Tsuna," said Reborn.

"It wasn't. When it's working like it is now I know I can trust my Intuition completely, and it says he's good. I also want Lancia-san in my _Famiglia_ , if he'll stick around."

"How can you tell that he won't turn around and kill you?"

"Lancia-san and the times he killed all those people are separate. It was Mukuro controlling him. He's the one to be weary of. He's the one that's going to wish he was never born with bones."

"The Vindice will want them all." Reborn's tone in sent a chill down Tsuna's spine.

"What are... who are they?"

Kyoko and Ryohei were once again ahead of everyone but with Takeshi guarding the back, they moved in a malformed ring around Tsuna like a shield, listening in on what the hitman was about to say.

"The Mafia world has its own rules that must be followed and the ones that enforce these rules are the Vindice. Inhuman beings wrapped in black jackets, bandages that obscure all facial features, and a lot of chains that they use to incapacitate an enemy." Reborn was silent for a moment, remembering a time when he met them. "They have the ability to use a black energy like the Flames of the Sky, only theirs allows them to create portals to appear through anywhere and anytime. They appear to have no human concept of compassion or feeling, only the cold enforcement of Mafia law."

"And these... these Vindice will want to take away Lancia-san."

"As much as I would like to say otherwise, Tsuna, it's best to let them take him. If you draw their attention I'm not sure what they would do."

"Hm. I'll keep that in mind."

That was not the answer he wanted, but trying getting anything more out of a stubborn Sky would be futile.

 **. . .**

There it was. The heart of Kokuyo Land, or at least where Reborn's tracker and laptop-Leon lead them to.

It was a large and decrepit building unfit for habitation, with a wall of battered windows on the upper floor. From the angle his group stood at there were a number of entrances for them to get inside with, and given the slight tinging of orange in the heavens above, Tsuna decided they had taken too long enough to fight through Mukuro's henchmen and navigate the haunted looking broken theme park. Tsuna went to a broken door and gently plucked Aota from Takeshi's shoulder.

"Would you check to see if anyone is waiting on the inside, Aota-chan?"

His little monkey-com nodded and darted inside only come running out (and clinging to his front) from a few vacant-eyed and battered looking teenagers wielding kitchen blades and pipes. As Tsuna had been right there he had to dodge back only to blink in surprise when his three remaining friends darted forward and made short work of the teens before he could do a thing, and not one of them had a single scratch from the attack.

Reborn landed on Tsuna's shoulder and leveled a serious look on his students face as he tugged a lock of hair to make the boy face him. "Each and every person in your Family cares deeply for you. They're like Dino's men, they would take a bullet to save you because your life matters so much to them."

"I-I think I knew that..." Tsuna swallowed hard forced away some dizziness at the realization. "I would do the same for them, and given the chance I'd do it for you too."

Reborn pinched his cheek and flatly said that the student isn't supposed to sacrifice himself for the teacher, don't be so stupid. A shrug was his pupil's reply.

Tsuna gathered hybrid Flames to a deep part of his brain* and shivered as a sharp awareness of his surroundings came to him, like when he practiced internal use of his Lightning when learning the Shadow Step technique. He entered the building with Kyoko flanking him on his left and Takeshi on his right, and Ryohei was behind them as Reborn jumped down to walk in front of Tsuna with gun-Leon at the ready. There was no taking chances with an individual like Mukuro who had wiped out eight (albeit mostly corrupt) Mafia _Famiglia_ in his lifetime. Not knowing where Hibari was being kept left Tsuna too distracted, so he sent Takeshi and Ryohei off to find him and make sure he was alive. There was also a request to Ryohei to keep his mouth shut until after Hibari was up and about like his usual self, and healed if need be.

"Tsuna-kun, while they check down here why don't we go upstairs?"

With Sky-Lightning thrumming beneath his skin and lukewarm Intuition agreeing, Tsuna nodded and with Reborn on his shoulder, and Aota on Kyoko's, they ascended cement steps to what must have been a grand room made for parties and entertainment. Torn and threadbare maroon drapes overtop a stage empty save for a ratty "throne" added a further creepiness to the silent surroundings. Tsuna's Intuition was cold and plucking at his nerves, telling him to remain alert and watch out for something hiding in the drapes. With Kyoko and Reborn, now on the floor, flanking him he stepped further inside. He reminded himself again that he was here for Fuuta and that was the only thing, aside from the well-being of his _Famiglia_ , that mattered. And then his boy stumbled out from the left side of the stage with heavy bandages wrapped around his arms. To the Decimo's private relief he was still dressed in the same purple sleeveless hoodie and jeans Tsuna saw him in that morning. His arms were wrapped up and he looked more dirty than battered.

"Fuuta!"

"Fuuta-kun!"

Both teens had rushed over without thinking, without heeding the fine hairs standing up on the back of their necks. Kyoko was fussing over him, petting the child's hair and saying she promised to protect him more from then on, and Tsuna was standing outside of Fuuta's reach and staring intently at the throne on the stage. There was something there, a concentration of _beware-beware-beware_ tickling with unnerving familiarity. Reborn stood on Tsuna's shoulder and noted that there was subtle Mist Flames suffusing the entire space, easily obscuring the presence of any specific illusion or the user.

When the hitman turned his attention to Fuuta and spotted deadened eyes like "Romu's", it was in time to see something silver flash and for Kyoko to receive a strange trident weapon piercing deeply into her stomach. She fell back with a choked sound of surprise and hugged her middle while Tsuna, pale and hardy breathing, watched weak pulses of her Sun flicker, barely visible through the dark blood soaking her clothes.

"Baka-Tsuna!" Reborn kicked his student away and saved him from being touched by the trident. "This isn't the time to be scared, your Family needs you!"

Tsuna slowly stood upright and there was that icy feeling in the air again. Reborn, Fuuta, and Kyoko's breaths were coming out in thick vapor like the Decimo's. A second ticked by and Tsuna's Hyper Dying Will awoke and cranked up his cold Presence until there was frost greying the dark drapes and the corners of the room. In a soft voice made almost monotonous by his trying to distance himself from the murderous rage writhing in his chest, Tsuna asked Reborn to heal Kyoko.

Before this the presence hanging around the stage had been watching him and his little show. Now, however, puppet-Fuuta launched himself at the Decimo and in a blurred, nearly invisible movement the trident was sent sailing across the room to embed itself in the dense wood of the stage "throne", nearly knocking it backwards.

"Come out and face me," Tsuna said. In one hand he held a struggling dead-eyed Fuuta."I promised someone I'd beat you to near death."

"Kufufu. There lies the problem, little Decimo. You lack the drive to end life."

Indigo light flared and faded in wisps, revealing a teenage male lounging on the throne-like chair. Like his other henchmen Mukuro favored Kokuyo High uniforms along with a nice hat. In his gloved hands was a black staff, probably the main body to that trident Tsuna so stupidly sent flying at him. With a low growl Tsuna cautiously dragged Fuuta towards where Reborn stood healing Kyoko with help from his yellow pacifier. She was half-conscious by this time, eyes glassy and skin pale as she was muttering apology after apology under her breath. Tsuna would have picked her up and cradled her close at a better time, but he could only knock his struggling _bambino_ unconscious with a nerve-pinch and trust him to Reborn. The infant quickly tied him up and promised to keep him safe.

"Killing is rarely the answer," Tsuna said as he slowly walked closer and withdrew precious-steel tonfa that replaced his old ones. These gold and dark-metal looking weapons, designed by Reborn and Spanner, could do several things that the young fledgling boss intended to use if he found a chance to. "And if it is your personal choice to kill rampantly, I will have to stop you."

Mukuro chuckled and smirked as he stood to hop off the stage. "In the gentlest way possible, I take it? The Vongola will fall too easily under your weak rule, little Sky."

"A kingdom built on corpses means nothing to me."

Tsuna did not allow the other to respond, he blurred forward and clipped Mukuro's side before the boy could twist out of the way. Mukuro went flying back and rolled straight onto his knees with a delighted sort of deranged smile on his face.

"Perfect! You are the perfect specimen, Vongola."

A look of contempt twisted Tsuna's face and he narrowed his eyes. "You have lofty goals, but taking over the body of one kid to destroy the mafia and then the world is a bit much for another brat, no matter what they've gone through."

"Kufufu. You certainly talk big, Decimo... but can you break your heart?"

Tsuna's eyes narrowed and he watched Mukuro reach for a weapon hidden in his coat right as the doors on the other far end of the hall burst open, letting in Hibari and his dark aura of imminent bone breakage. Mukuro paused and watched the Cloud covered in bruises and scabbed over cuts move as though the megalomaniac had not broken dozens of bones*. A moment after the Skylark's eyes landed on Mukuro a purple glow entered them and he advanced swiftly like a swooping, vengeful black eagle. There was no time to do more than barely dodge a strike that sliced into the Illusionists cheek as Hibari swiftly had the killer dodging back and avoiding hits until the softly cool presence of Mist, different from the Sky's current aura and different from Nana's warmer Flames, spiked. Gorgeous trees of sakura and a heavy smell of delicate pink blossoms filled the room. Hibari, to Tsuna's horror, went down like a puppet with his strings cut.

The trident was swiftly stabbed into Hibari's shoulder as the illusion faded and Tsuna launched himself at Mukuro with a snarl on his face. He landed a solid punch that sent the older boy flying and crashing through two walls behind the stage. Tsuna stood in a _Peonia Ballo_ martial arts stance, slightly hunched with his arms raised in a vaguely defensive manner and his feet poised to nimbly jump away. Hurried footsteps brought Takeshi to Tsuna's side while Ryohei went toward his sister with yell of anger and anguish that hurt to hear. Mukuro left the holes his body made and in his hands was a gun that he, with a smirk, pointed at his head and -

 _ **BANG!**_

"What the hell!" Takeshi said in a sharp voice. "He went and killed himself when he knew he was going to lose?"

Ryohei, now holding his sister upright as Reborn finished healing her, growled with a dark look on his face. "Good. That bastard hurt Kyoko!"

Tsuna could not relax after that gunshot, and in fact he was even more tense. There was a presence in the room, felt it hovering over him like some pitch black abyss waiting to swallow him and everyone else. No, this was not over. With that sensation of darkness nearly choking him, Tsuna noticed when the abyss lessened, but did not connect it to Hibari standing up with the trident in his possession. He approached, twirling a tonfa in one hand, and the sharp pinch of Intuition came a second too late as Takeshi was cut by Mukuro's weapon, wielded by a smirking and odd-eyed prefect.

Before he could so much as curse, Tsuna was grabbed by Takeshi and physically restrained.

* * *

 *** Gokudera and Poison: I imagine Chikusa exchanged a slower poison for a faster one.**

 *** Fuuta: I hope it was obvious but here, he wanted to hide from Mukuro how important he is to Tsuna, that's why he refrained from saying papa. (Not that it made any difference, but hey.)**

 *** SAKURA: Major love for her, seriously. She's an awesome character and I don't mean to be harsh, but... Kyoko and her are a kinda opposites and Sakura has a temper Tsuna would not want to deal with. He doesn't have Naruto's resilience to Hulk punches after all. AND THANK YOU Akayuki Novak for telling me about the lack of note for her! D: I always forget something!**

 *** Sky and Sky-Lightning: I go into this more later on, but the difference in awareness is supernatural and more like high enhanced human senses.**

 *** Deep Part of Brain: The amygdala. Sue me if the science is wrong, but I didn't** _ **expressly**_ **refer to it in-story. I'm working off of what I read about it. *shifty eyes* AH, THE JUDGING IS BURNING!**

 *** Mukuro was using one of his Hell Paths (and Mist) to disguise himself in the chair. What Tsuna sensed was the malicious presence he got a read off of in Lancia.**

 *** Fuuta's Clothes: I don't have to say what crossed Tsuna's mind, right?**

 *** Enough of Hibari's bones were healed by Ryohei. Just in case people are as unobservant as me. :D**

 *** Ryohei's Anger: As much as he can be an oblivious goofball, I can see there being** _ **some**_ **limit to that. He saw Tsuna's condition after being shot four times, and** _ **that**_ **made him pissed off, and seeing his beloved sister laid out with a puddle of blood beneath her, well, I think that would make a lot of people snap in some way.**

 **As always: constructive criticism, or simply pointing out mistakes, is as welcomed as good ol' squee-triggering reviews that make me high as a kite.**


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**THANK YOU TO: Akayuki Novak, MissSexyRain, EndlessChains, Natsu Yuuki, RavenWhiteMoi, Of Stories Told, LioPyro7890, Yumi014, JUST SET ME ON FIRE, Hime-chan Natsumi, Zivyx, SUGInaota, Kuroi Rin, Littlest1, Vampireharry the 2, demonsLOver, Yana5, general zargon, and KainVixenheim. ALSO, thank you to every person who has put this on favorites and watch, they mean a lot to me even though most of the time I'm airheaded and don't think to check when I answer reviews. x(**

 **WARNING and CHAPTER RATING: M. Mentions and limited details of experiments on children. Also, harsh language.**

 **NOTE: If you want to skip reading about the Estraneo experiments skip from "For testing a serum" to "In a small way ". ALSO, if this chapter disappoints any of you, I'm sorry, this is just how it happened in my head and I liked it, so there is it. Please enjoy.**

 **SECOND NOTE: Do you guys know how much I love you all? I ran home. _Ran,_** **people, I ran. It's a little hard to breathe, my head hurts, and so does my throat. Yeah, as you can tell, I'm not much of a runner...**

* * *

 _ **"As human beings we have the most extraordinary capacity for evil. We can perpetrate some of the most horrendous atrocities." ~ Desmond Mpilo Tutu.**_

* * *

"Kufufu." That laugh in Takeshi's voice while right against his ear sent an unpleasant shiver down Tsuna's back as he froze. "While in possession of someone I happen to have a limited access to their thoughts and feelings..."

Mukuro-Takeshi, holding the Sky's hands twisted behind his back, shifted and pressed his lips to Tsuna's neck and 's hand wrapped around his throat. Fear and horror was threatening to clog up Tsuna's throat as the familiar hand tightened and the thumb stroked his racing pulse. "The juggernaut and your swordsman have the same feelings for you as that little girl over there."

"GAH!" The sound of Ryohei's cry and the subsequent loud crashing through a wall sent Tsuna's heart speeding even faster. "K-Kyoko!? What's gotten into you?"

Little miss Sasegawa Kyoko had Mukuro's cruel smile and cracks in the side of her face as she smirked at her brother, then she turned a speculative look on the Arcobaleno, who so easily dodged the blindingly fast strike this girl's body could do. She shrugged and sauntered over to Tsuna, a sway in her hips and a shark-like look on her twisted face.

"It's really quite amusing," she said, voice husky as she stroked his cheek. "Does everyone in your _Famiglia_ harbor feelings for you, little Vongola?"

"Th-they're my friends," he managed to force out.

"Friends that want you writhing beneath them in pleasure as they sully your body, _little virgin_?" Hibari said as he moved closer so that the last two words were practically purred into his ear.

A slight blush colored Tsuna's cheeks, making him look sick with the ghostly pallor to his skin. His face was one of pure disgust, for Mukuro's attempt to mess with him. From the corner of his eye Tsuna watched Reborn intercede Ryohei, heard the distant but clear request for him to trust Tsuna with saving Kyoko and the rest. _That's right_ , Tsuna could not let Mukuro win. Destroying the world meant killing everyone he loved and though he wasn't so noble (or confident) as to claim to want to save every single innocent, he was damned if he let this mind game go on.

For anyone sensitive to Tsuna's Sky, like Reborn and the rest of the boy's group, his Presence was heavy as the temperature dropped. Reborn decided it was definitely time to sit back (but not really) and watch what his student did. As usual he wasn't disappointed. Tsuna's mind had been twisting in on itself, fighting the instinct to let the bodies of his friends do what they pleased so he wouldn't hurt them, but in doing that he would hurt them beyond anything he could feasibly do with his own power. They would never forgive him for allowing them to hurt him, and he would never forgive himself.

Frost and thickening ice spread out from Tsuna's feet, slicking the floor and creeping over Takeshi's body where it touched the young Sky's. Mukuro felt himself jerk and freeze as the strange lukewarm Sky Flames slipped into the swordsmans system, and with the girl and juggernaut crowding the Decimo they were ensnared by whatever he was doing. Soft heat grew hotter, melding with the individual Flames each person possessed and as much as he tried Mukuro could not drag himself free of the three bodies he had taken over. For the first time since his years in the Estraneo's clutches Mukuro tasted fear, and this time it was ashes and winter instead of blood, blood, _blood_.

"The Flames of the Sky are mysterious and I believe the limits are all in our heads... and as a Sky myself," said Tsuna, voice low as he pulled Takeshi's stiff hand from his throat with gentle fingers. "You are too weak to control the connection I have with the ones I love, Mukuro, and believing you could beat a boy willing to die for the well-being of his family was your mistake."

Three cries of pain echoed in the room as soft aura's of Sky enveloped Takeshi, Kyoko and Hibari, and all three collapsed, unconscious, free of burns and looking peaceful.

Tsuna knew he wouldn't have too much time before Mukuro returned stronger than before, so he slung Kyoko over his back, grabbed his two male friends by their arms, and hurried over to Reborn to (as gently as possible) dump them beside the tutor he trusted to keep them safe. The infant pulled a gun out as Tsuna approached the middle of the room. He did not have to wait long for Mukuro to return and watched as the Mist user stood and gouged his own red eye with his fingers. The power unleashed by that move was startling and sent a slight trickle of fear through Tsuna's heart, but it was not enough to shake his resolve to stop Mukuro here.

All at once they rushed at one another, one with his indigo-glowing staff and trident, the other with a pair of violently blazing tonfa. Mukuro was a formidable opponent Tsuna noted from a clinical part of his brain he hadn't realized he was capable of. The taller male had better reach, certainly, but Tsuna was faster and still stronger, possibly even without being imbued with his HDW. He blocked most of Mukuro's blows and those that hit could not penetrate the amber Lightning flickering over skin hidden by his Tai-chi martial arts outfit. Tsuna could see the other growing desperate, could feel it in the Mist Flames pulsing and twisting around him in an effort to ensnare him in an illusion. Mukuro was tough out of luck there, because Tsuna noted felt the attempted invasion of his Mist and burned it off mid-fight.

Eventually Tsuna pumped more of his hybrid flame into the muscles of his body, keeping his pure Sky Flame alight on his forehead, and grabbed Mukuro and threw him over his shoulder, slamming the slender male down hard enough to form a crater in the wood and support beneath. The Mist user was too stunned to move and he couldn't quite get back the breath that had been knocked out of him. Tsuna quickly had Mukuro pinned in much the way Hibari thoroughly kept him trapped once too many times during spars. Difference here is that the Mist user lacks enough heat in his Flames to reach through that of Tsuna's.

"Why are you so intent on destroying everything?" Tsuna loomed above the Mist user, voice rough from suppressed emotion and eyes rock steady. "I want to know before I end this."

Rokudo Mukuro was familiar with the concept of the fabled Sky Flames and the ability of Harmonizing with surroundings and people. Being who he is he was especially sensitive to unnatural things, though what constitutes unnatural is often up for debate in the Mafia world. What was important was that he could feel something, and it was wrapped around him, pressing gently close, caressing his skin and begging to be let in. That was probably the young Vongola's Sky attempting to Harmonize with him whether the boy was aware of that or not. Well, who was he to ignore such an opening?

Mukuro smirked darkly up at the naive boy. "You really wish to know why a world without humans would be better?"

Cold Intuition zinged down the Decimo's back before returning warmer. "Yes, I do."

Tsuna felt it the moment Mukuro's Flame latched onto his in a vicious Harmony that bordered on pain, but that was eclipsed by the crash of cold Mist flooding him and pooling in his head. Suddenly he wasn't in the heart of Kokuyo Land. He was huddling in the corner of a small, horribly smelly stone cell that was damp and cold. He was looking down at small, torn up and bleeding hands, and thin wrists with red and bleeding welts, and Tsuna felt them, as well as the bruises and needle marks in milky white arms, as were the wounds were all his own. Knowledge of a different life slithered into his head along with terrible sensations. That cell was only one of many where the children of the Estraneo _Famiglia_ were held when not being used for experiments.

 **For testing a serum** that speeded healing a child had large patches of skin removed. Others had organs taken for other tests and replaced with bio-robotics in attempts to make viable non-biological replacements. A growth serum combined with other specialized steroids was designed to encourage a large and powerful soldier. Full-body injections into deep muscle tissue and bone, heavily modified teeth and testing of on-the-spot mutations for super soldiers. And finally, Mukuro's own torment. Like everything else it was torture with testing involving increasingly successful health optimizing serums and drugs... and the pain that the Mist beneath him went through killed the boy six times and left him further broken until the "Supernatural Agent" project was successful after twelve other failures.

 **In a small way** Tsuna understood the pain and anger over injustice and abuse of power. True, the Decimo was unlikely to go through anything like what Mukuro and his two subordinates did, but without his madre's love and support, the young Sky could have easily been a weak shadow of what Mukuro became: a child hating the world that hurt him, desiring nothing more than to see everyone else suffer worse than him. The part of Tsuna that was capable of forgiving to varying degrees shifted all sanguinary feelings towards people and Mafia like the Estraneo, and there would certainly be other twisted creatures wearing human skin. The problem is that they shouldn't be allowed to exist, or at the very least be free to continue spreading their darkness.

Outside of Tsuna and Mukuro's tense and stone-still forms was a bright aura of Mist and Sky, twisting together and flaring frequently. Inside the Flames Tsuna could still feel Mukuro's Mist clutching his Sky, and had it been in real life nails would be digging into his skin and drawing beads of blood. The memories ceased after Tsuna watched the Estraneo's slaughter through the young criminal's own eyes, with the cold Mist withdrawing from his head and leaving him shivering. What the Decimo did not expect was for the white-hot flare of Intuition telling him not to let go, to open up and let the Harmony complete. Not looking to ignore such a powerful nudge in the good direction of his Intuition, Tsuna did just that with a shaky sigh.

Mukuro had fully expected Tsuna to be broken by the memories of his time in the Estraneo's clutches. He expected the foolish boy to flinch away, to reject the murderer so instinctivly that he left himself open. Instead he felt the Decimo's Sky envelop him and swiftly seep in like when his possession over those three teens broke, only there was no pain of burning and turning to ashes. What Mukuro felt was warm, a relaxing embrace of gentle Flames that warmed him from the inside, exactly like the first mug of delicious hot chocolate he stole; and just like that he could feel a suffocating weight* fade from his heart. Hate for the Mafia remained, the urge to murder men and woman like the scientists who tortured him still lingered like glowing embers waiting to be stoked into full blaze, but he was thinking clearer now.

His plan would never have worked. An Arcobaleno of Reborn's caliber, the _Strongest Hitman_ in the world, would not have hesitated to gun down the student he cared for to save Tsuna from being possessed and used to kill the people he loved. Hell, an Arcobaleno would not have had to kill Tsuna to stop the possession.

Sky and Mist receded as both teens left the trances they entered. Mukuro's eyes were gleaming, borderline frantic. It would be hard for even Reborn to say whether the Mist user was being sincere or trying to mess with Tsuna's head again as he spoke.

"Kill me. Give me death before I'm taken by the mafia again."

Tsuna shook his head, grip tightening on Mukuro's bruising wrists as he forced back his own nerves. "No, I'm not a killer, but if you want a bunch of broken bones I'm all for that."

Mukuro sneered, red eye beginning to glow, but then Tsuna slammed his forehead against his with enough force to knock him out. Tsuna stood, knees shaky from the strange feeling of that particular Harmonization, the first where he was actively aware of it forming, and he stumbled back. His eyes were scanning Mukuro for any injuries needing pressing attention just in case a mafia prison doesn't fix up its prisoners, and seeing nothing on the front he shuffled forward to kneel and turn him over. A harsh voice stopped him.

"Don't you dare touch him-byon! You filthy mafia brat!"

There behind him was the blond feral boy named Joshima Ken, body bleeding heavily from dragging himself over the ground to reach this part of the old amusement park.

Tsuna approached him and knelt out of swiping range. "Why did the Estraneo resort to... ch-child experimentation?"

Ken snarled, eyes going slit-pupiled. "Because they were blacklisted after creating the Possession Bullet-byon! No one could leave without getting shot and killed on sight!"

"Reborn, Mukuro used the Possession Bullet on himself, didn't he?"

"Yes, it's why you were nearly done in by your own _Famiglia._ "

"Were you and the other mafia groups aware that the Estraneo were still in possession of children?" Tsuna's voice was hollow, catching Reborn's attention and calming Ken's constant snarl through curiosity. Tsuna's thoughts had turned back to the torture Mukuro and his subordinates went through while locked down together with their own flesh and blood, forgotten and abandoned by the world. There was a curious sort of stirring in his chest and it took him a moment to identify it as a growing urge to maim a lot of people, to draw more than a little blood. "A group who made something so terrible it drew enough ill-will to get them banished from the public and subjected to a kill on sight order... were allowed to keep _children_..."

Reborn held in a sigh that threatened to be heavy. "Yes, I knew. The Nono knew. Many of the older generation was aware of the Estraneo incident, but newer leaders, like Dino and Kiku of the Chiavarone and Irukaza are ignorant of it, because after the Estraneo were wiped out five years ago it was agreed to make it so that as few as possible knew of them."

Tsuna's mind and heart raced as he glared at the floor and clenched his fists until they ached. " _Why_ weren't the children taken? Or, better yet, why weren't the Estraneo wiped out if they were so dangerous? Locking them inside their base... that was asking them to stew and come up with worse."

"Taking away the property of another mafia goes against rules made in much older times," Reborn tipped his hat down, hiding his eyes, "and in the underworld... children of one's blood are considered property."

Tsuna's Sky-Lightning crackled dangerously and he hunched over, clutching at his head as he began shaking with both horror and rage*. It felt like the blood was rushing to his brain and he could not help thinking of Fuuta and the other kids. If someone took them, if someone hurt them like they hurt Mukuro and dozens of other innocents... A choked whine left Tsuna and tears dripped down his face. It took a few seconds for Tsuna to gain a forced composure, but when the trembling boy lifted his head and pulled away his hands, ripping out hair without registering pain, he looked at Reborn with fierce eyes.

"Protecting children should come first, and fuck the damn rules. Anyone who can do what they did to Mukuro and the rest... they shouldn't be allowed to _exist_."

Reborn's face was blank as he considered his student's words and behavior. The Arcobaleno much preferred to keep his own emotions out of everything because such pesky things were a vulnerability the world's greatest hitman could not afford. Emotions were the sludge in the coffee filter, they did nothing good, and he was once absolutely certain of that. Being aware of emotions influencing Flame use and using that to manipulate people is one thing, but believing in something as inane as the "power of the heart" was what Reborn thought he would never believe in even slightly. This notion was shaken a bit after he observed and taught Dino, and later on when he took the job of prepping Tsuna for life as a boss, Reborn's world view finished its sluggish shift: emotions were not _always_ a vulnerability. In some cases they were an advantage.

Now, the Arcobaleno tried to imagine what Tsuna would have done in the Nono's place instead of following the precedent set by other fossilized bosses, and voting for the imprisonment. It didn't need more than a moments consideration. His student would never have allowed the likes of Mukuro to be tortured into existence. No doubt Tsuna would have sought to take away the children and adopt them instead of locking them all away with their twisted _Famiglia_ , or better yet possibly rid the world of the adult Estraneo instead of letting them fester in the dark like a deadly mold.

"Mistakes were made, and only the strongest mafia can have a hope to change the rules." Reborn slowly approached his student and looked into the boy's watery eyes. "Since you hate it so much you know what the obvious thing to do is: become strong enough rewrite the rules."

"Reborn... y-you're right. Losing my cool won't do any good." Tsuna wiped at his face as much of his anger washed away. He lost sight of what he was already doing, and that was working to become stronger for his friends, his own _Famiglia_ , and adding this to the small list of reasons why just gave him more motivation. "I'm sorry for snapping at you... it's not like you're the one I'm mad at."

Ken gave his head a shake, hardly noticing that his ears were ringing terribly and his body was a mass of pain. None of that was new. He felt tired and angry and even a little confused (did the boy cry for them?), but he also refused to believe in the likes of a mafia brat, no matter what they say or the feeling of reassurance they give off.

"Just wait, shrimp, you're all noble now-byon, but when you're indoctrinated you'll become another one of them and you'll be a monster too."

Reborn hopped onto Tsuna's shoulder as the boy slowly turned to Ken and lifted one hand. Soft Sky Flames flared to life and the orange quickly faded into a more dominant blue until there were only flecks of amber dancing in aquamarine depths, then he reached down to place his hand on Ken's shoulder before the boy could move away. Startled and on edge, Ken clamped his teeth on Tsuna's forearm and got a mouthful of blood. The Decimo did not flinch, it was nothing compared to the sharp echoes of pain he felt from Mukuro's memories. Tsuna proceeded to do what he meant to: use Rain to numb whatever pain Ken felt. It was something he did for himself often enough.

As most of his pain faded to a dull buzz Ken released Tsuna's arm and spat out most of the blood. He stared at the Decimo like he had just been offered a kidney.

"Why the fuck did you do that-byon?"

Tsuna kept quiet for a moment and sweat broke out as the blue of Rain slowly lightened to Sun and Ken felt wonderfully boneless at the pleasant warmth. He'd never felt so... was content the right word?

"I never thought I'd say this to anyone... but I forgive you and your two friends. The hell you all went through, that pain, it would turn anyone dark, and you three aren't to blame for what you became, and..." Tsuna's HDW faded with a soft hiss as he pushed his energy into continuing a mediocre healing job. "For the record, I never saw you as monsters, all I saw were people who needed a serious beat down, and you were all defeated, both in body and scheme. Holding a grudge against you guys would just be tiresome."

Would he ever have it in himself to let go of his hate for Timoteo and Iemitsu? That he was not sure of, it's been years and habits are difficult to break.

Before Ken could make some disparaging comment, or make less of a dumbfounded face, Tsuna paled as an awful wave of icy Intuition hit him and he turned toward the door at the far end of the hall as his Sun-Resonating Sky died. In walked a group of six tall and terrifying people in black jackets of different styles, enough bandages to completely obscure their looks, and plenty of chains on each of them. With dread a sick feeling in his stomach Tsuna caught sight of Lancia slung over the shoulder of a particularly big Vindice, as well as Chikusa and the other escapee's from Vendicare in their clutches. In movements so fast he nearly missed them Tsuna watched as Ken and Mukuro were grabbed by chained collars and dragged into the Vindice's hands. And just like that they started heading to the exit.

Tsuna's Intuition was molten metal and liquid nitrogen twisting horribly in his stomach and chest, but still he managed to speak.

"V-Vindice-sama!"

Reborn twitched and barely kept from kicking Tsuna's head. He watched, tense and blank-faced, as all Vindice members present turned toward himself and the boy he had found himself so invested in teaching and nurturing. Nurturing in his own violent and round-about way. A slender one stepped forward and a rattling breath raised hairs on both hitman and Decimo's necks.

"What does the child heir of the Vongola need of us?" said the Vindice. That voice was a almost feminine, but had rumbling earth tones amidst a sharpness to rival broken glass.

Tsuna swallowed and ignored the looks of surprise that Ken, Chikusa, and Lancia were giving him. "As heir to the Vongola, is there any way for me to offer a kind of Sanctuary to one of the prisoners until he's proven guilty or innocent?"

Vindice turned to talk amongst themselves until one of them pulled out a black cellphone. A minute later there was a brutal flash of cold and a black portal appeared to let an Arcobaleno sized Vindice through. Now this one, they made Tsuna's stomach shrivel up and fall away as the small powerhouse approached him. Immediately Tsuna knelt, partly to be closer to the ground in case his knees gave out, and mostly so he didn't feel like he was talking down to an entity that could inspire such mortal fear with sheer bearing.

"You want to offer Sanctuary to one of the prisoners?" This voice was somewhere between teen and demon, with a blood-chilling tone.

Tsuna nodded. "It won't come without a price." Tiny Demon looked him over and Tsuna felt a touch of something so heavy and powerful he ceased breathing and his Sky-Lightning surged to life, wreathing him as he hunched over and grabbed at his chest. The littlest Vindice nodded to himself after an entire endless minute where the pressure kept building, then he stopped and Tsuna barely kept from vomiting. "Yes... you will owe us a favor, Vongola child."

The Decimo's heart lurched as his instincts screamed caution. This wasn't a promise to be made lightly, or at all unless one thing was made very clear. His head bowed as he took strength from knowing he was going to say this for more than his peace of mind. When he straightened and looked Little Vindice straight on his eyes were steady.

"Thank you for giving me a chance, but before I take the offer I have to say something..." Tsuna's steady eyes turned remorseful. "If this favor of yours involves me hurting or betraying anyone I view as a comrade or a partner, I'm afraid I... I have to leave Lancia-san in your hands."

For a long minute Tsuna and this little Vindice faced each other before the powerhouse nodded. "I accept that. He's yours, but if he is guilty and we come for him, do not fight for him."

For a moment Tsuna felt like he was going to collapse into a pile of mush from relief as the mini Vindice stepped through a warp he created. Before the Decimo could melt into a puddle of nerves Reborn pinched his ear and a startled cry drew his attention to a incoming Lancia. Tsuna barely stood in time to catch the poor man, and from the sheer force of it he stumbled and landed on his back with a groan. Lancia quickly moved off of him and pulled him into a seated position before checking his head for any lumps or blood from the impact. By this time all enforcers of mafia law were gone.

"L-Lancia-san, I'm fine."

The man backed off and nodded, still looking like he wanted to keep checking for injuries catching his weight at high velocity caused. He was stunned by what the boy did for him and wasn't sure what to say.

"TSUNA!" A blur grabbed Tsuna up into a hug and immediately the welcome heat of Sun Flames filled a space of five feet around the Decimo, Lancia, and then a small weight returned to Tsuna's shoulder to tug at his hair. "You were so EXTREME with those scary guys in black and chains!"

Reborn ground a knuckle into the side of his students head, ignoring Lancia for the moment. "I was afraid you would do something like that. You're lucky they didn't hurt you for interrupting their work."

Tsuna let himself melt in Ryohei's hug. He had some bruises from his fight with Lancia, and he had a bite on his arm that would scar magnificently if he didn't let Kyoko heal it, but overall he was mostly unscathed physically. The balmy Sun Flames seeped into his flesh and bones, easing the phantom pains he could still feel picking at the back of his head, and best of all Tsuna felt like everything was better. His _Famiglia_ were safe, he was fine, but still. Tsuna returned the gentle bear hug his friend gave and hid his face against the older teen's chest for a brief time, then he pulled back and stood.

"Let's wake everyone up and get the hell out of here."

 **. . .**

Hibari, Kyoko, Takeshi, and Fuuta were firmly unconscious and Tsuna called Hana to ask her to bring Gokudera with her to the Kokuyo Park main building. Aota went and guided her, but Gokudera could barely move on his own and was mostly carried by Hana, who appeared amused at his mutterings. What came as a surprise was Reborn calling up Dino, who was in Namimori for some sort of business, to ask for assistance in getting everyone to the Sawada home where they could recuperate from the trauma of that day. Dino was all brotherly concern and had his medically inclined subordinates caring for Tsuna's group before he had them all brought into the luxury bus he rented to transport them home. Tsuna held Fuuta close in his lap the entire way home.

Nana was awake when everyone returned. She had spent the last half hour fussing over the occupants of the house (children, Fon, Spanner and Bianchi) to distract herself. Seeing some of the returnees battered, stained with blood, and unconscious nearly sent her into hysterics before she quite literally slapped herself and directed Dino's men to the spare room where Takeshi was laid down to rest. Fuuta was put in Tsuna's bed as that room was the most secure with all of Reborn's lingering traps by the window and in other areas. Hibari was placed in Fuuta's room, and Gokudera, awake and grumbling over being unable to help the Juudaime, was placed in the living room. Kyoko got to sleep in Nana's bed for peace and quiet, and Hana volunteered to keep an eye on her.

Then it was introduction time.

Introducing Lancia to his madre went better than Tsuna expected. He told her the truth for the most part, that Lancia had been used as a puppet, unable to stop himself because he was controlled by an outside force, and used to wipe out groups of people that were especially corrupt and blood stained. Tsuna offered him Sanctuary, a place to be safe and well-treated until a group of terrifying law enforcers hopefully proved his innocence. Nana had approached Lancia, not an ounce of fear in her eyes, and reached up to pull his face closer. There she look a long look at him and approximately one minute later she stepped back and smiled kindly.

"Welcome to our home, Lancia-kun. It's loud, a bit crazy, and there are kids running underfoot, but I know you'll be happy with us for however long you stay."

She patted Lancia's cheek and headed to the kitchen to make a large pot of hot chocolate for everyone, leaving the man standing there shocked and unsure of what to do. Tsuna took Lancia's hand and had him sit in a plush chair, asked him to relax, and promptly turned on the TV before putting the remote in the his hands before asking Gokudera to be patient and watch whatever Lancia wanted to. Or decide by rock-paper-scissors if they wanted, it was all up to them.

Dino, who had yet to actually meet her the last time, entered the kitchen and introduced himself to Nana as her son's honorary big brother, if she doesn't mind, and the man supporting Spanner's robotics projects, both of which instantly won the Sawada Matriarch's favor. She informed him he can call her mamma and visit any time because if he's her Tsu-kun's big brother then it stands to reason he would be happy seeing Dino as often as possible. The blond man appeared charmed by her and was happy with the invite, promising he would keep in touch and help their family with anything that might come up.

Having watched this interaction from the door of the kitchen, Tsuna nodded in satisfaction and headed upstairs with a shadow wearing dirty grey overalls and a rainbow tie-dye tank top.

Spanner followed Tsuna and sat down beside him on the floor when the boy sank down at Fuuta's bedside. The mechanical genius offered quiet comfort with his presence, or he hoped so at least since he was not very good at being warm and soothing like someone normal, and sat shoulder to leg with his smaller friend. When Tsuna started shaking and muffling strangled little sobs behind his hand Spanner froze in shock and felt a strange tug of actual fear in his chest before he recalled the one time he had a nightmare as a child and sought his grandpa for comfort during one summer. Yes, that would do.

With as much care as he took building the tiny custom-made parts of his robots, he reached up and pulled the smaller male down into his lap to tuck him close as best he could. Sky and Spanner's Lightning hummed warmly at the physical contact and Tsuna pressed closer to his friend, uncaring that he was acting like a child and trying to hide from Mukuro's memories, the image of Kyoko's stomach wound, and his mother laying bloody and unconscious in a park.

Spanner smelled of metal, engine grease, and plenty of strawberry sweetness. At that moment it seemed to be one of the best smells ever and it, along with Spanner rubbing his back and whispering assurances in Italian, did wonders to calm him down and tug him back from what felt like a cliff over Tartarus. After a half hour of crying and basking in the comfort of Spanner's gentle embrace, he got a hold of himself and told his mechanic the bare bones of what made him break down, and all while remaining in Spanner's lap and ignoring the fact that he hadn't moved away.

As he shifted a lollipop stick in his mouth Spanner seemed to have a particularly thoughtful look on his face, then a smile stretched his lips and he pulled the stick from his mouth before quickly pressing a kiss to Tsuna's cheek.

"Wha! Y-you just k-kissed... why?!" His hands were pressed to his red cheeks and yet he hadn't tried to flee.

Spanner chuckled and rested his forehead on Tsuna's. "That was payment for the armor Irie-kun and I will come up with."

"A-armor?"

"Unorthodox piercing weapons aside, it's a smart idea to work on armor easily concealed beneath clothes."

Tsuna perked up, forgetting the kiss and throwing his arms around his mechanic. "Thank you, Spanner."

Long, strong arms curled around the Decimo and he was pulled flush against the mechanic. "Hm. I believe a daily hug for the next two months will suffice as a payment plan."

Oh, look, his face was a tomato again. "Um... s-sure."

 **o o o**

Life was surprisingly unchanged after this.

Shoichi was spending much of his time with Haru at Spanner's home, which was a necessity apparently because his nosy family would make teaching the quirky girl all he knew about hacking and computers quite a trial. He was happy to tell Tsuna that Haru's brain, for all that she was eccentric and out-of-the-norm, absorbed everything and she had strong comprehension of difficult terms he used once he took the time to explain it. When Spanner spared her the daily hour to explain and show her schematics for his robots, she continued being a diligent, if excitable student.

Lancia's weapon, the Snake Serpent Steel ball, was never recovered but Spanner was all for working on a new weapon for Tsuna's newest _Famiglia_ member. This new weapon was a tricked out kanabo, a long and heavy club used by oni in myth, only Lancia's was made of very hard precious-steel and had carbonado studs. Lancia fit in well and he was very good with the children, something Tsuna loved. He asked the Italian if he could be Fuuta's protector until he was free to do what he wanted with his life, and knowing Tsuna viewed Fuuta and Lambo, and likely I-Pin too, as his own, Lancia said he would be honored to take on the job of protecting Fuuta and the other kids.

Spanner's armor project went on for three weeks before he presented Tsuna with longsleeved shirts and pants of a gunmetal gray that he explained was made of tungsten-titanium-steel cloth infused with Nana's Mist Flame and her belief in the cloth becoming stretchy. Confusing as _that_ was, no matter how many times his mom tried explaining the wonders of Mist, all that mattered was how the one millimeter thick silk-like cloth stretched, breathed well, and stood up to ten of Yamamoto-san's Flame enhanced blade at full power.

Now and then Tsuna wondered what he did to be so blessed with the people he knew.

* * *

 **OMAKE**

 _ **Semi-Canon, a Scene Meant To Be But Would Not Fit**_

"L-Lancia-san!" Tsuna grabbed the taller male's arm before he could act on the incredulous, angry thoughts he must have if his face indicates anything. "Come with me, I need to tell you some house rules before you live with my family."

The stoic looking man immediately turned from an angry Gokudera who starts berating the laughing swordsman for calling the mafia a game again. A block away Tsuna turned to Lancia and smiled sadly.

"I'm not sure Takeshi is ready to understand the truth yet, and what matters is he takes protecting his friends seriously and he takes the game seriously. A game where you can get hurt, maybe killed, is something he told me he wouldn't leave me to do alone. He..." Tsuna blinked and swallowed hard at the swell of emotions bubbling up. "He t-told me he'd never let me drown."

Lancia observed his boss and smiled slightly. "I see, _Padrone_ , my apologies for overreacting. I was worried he would not take protecting you seriously, but I can see that it is groundless."

Tsuna beamed up at the man and Lancia smiled for real. "That does not mean I won't be staying close and protecting you as well as the little ones. A boy such as you tangled up in a mafia like the Vongola and given next to no choice... I can do nothing else but do everything in my power to protect you."

Tsuna swallowed nervously at these bold, heartfelt words and then bowed briefly. "Yes... you're just that kind of person, Lancia-san. Thank you, I'm going to do my best for you and make sure you're comfortable."

The man looked startled for a moment before he rubbed his forehead and smiled slightly. "Ah... you're a special one, _Padrone_. You... you remind me of my first boss. He took in children and he gave second chances, and he always ensured his people were happy and cared for. You already seem to be a boss worth dying for."

Tsuna tilted his head slightly before paling as the full impact of his new almost-friend's words hit. "Th-thank you, but... I'm definitely not worth that. Don't say that again, please."

Lancia looked at his young boss and nodded. "Apologies, _Padrone_. He was also deeply averse to his subordinates dying for him..."

Tsuna laid a hand on Lancia's back as the man's face closed off. "Come on, by now my madre has made a full course meal and she'll be happy to have another person in the house. She likes a busy house hold. It was too quiet before Fuuta came into the picture. Iemitsu, my father, has been absent for about nine years barring one visit a few hours long, so noise and children and any new sons and daughters, young or adult age, are welcome."

Lancia frowned. "He left your mother to raise you alone?"

Tsuna took a deep breath as he nodded and shoved shaking fists into his pants. "Yeah. It was a few months after my Sky Flame was sealed, and I figure it was a combination of reasons, but still..." Tsuna growled slightly and shook his head. "He abandoned me and my madre, and because of the Nono... I nearly killed her handful of times because I was so damn clumsy after the loss of my Sky..." Tsuna looked up at Lancia and though the boy's face was angry his eyes were shimmering from frustrated tears and a deep well of shame. "I'm not nearly as great as Gokudera-kun and Takeshi, or the rest seem to think, Lancia-san. I'm... I can be pretty ugly on the inside. I hate my father and the Nono, in fact I loathe the old boss."

Lancia took Tsuna's hand and gently pulled him to a nearby bench. " _Padrone_ , you are only human. It's alright to hate, it's alright to feel ashamed, but don't blame yourself for how you feel or what an old man's mistake did. You have grown and become a good, strong young man who shoulders the burden of his own _Famiglia_ with admirable strength, cheer, and absolute faith in them. In return I saw how they looked at you, how important you are to them. Even that violent power house with the tricky tonfa, he usually had his eyes on you."

Tsuna, long since resigned to the fact that he cried somewhat easily, wiped at his eyes and smiled. "Y-yeah. Hibari sorta claimed me as his when we were young, now he calls me an Anaguma since I'm a small carnivore that faces down bigger enemies willingly."

Lancia smiled in amusement and spoke. "I heard of a hitwoman who had a tendency to include animal references in her speech and describe things like that. Though instead of carnivores she used animals like wolves and the like to describe different strong people, and for those not strong she called them sheep or rabbits."

Tsuna chuckled. "Yeah, that could be Mitsuko-san."

"If that is the case then I can see why he's so strong. She was a powerful Cloud and thought of as the reincarnation of the Greek Herakles before she retired."

Certain of his sparring-buddy's parentage now, Tsuna rubbed his face with a slight grin. "That explains so much. The son of a powerhouse is going to be a monster in strength. She's probably trained him herself."

Lancia patted the boy's shoulder. "You have a strong _Famiglia_ , _Padrone_ , and your friends will only grow stronger."

"Yeah... my _Famiglia_ and I will change the Vongola, and we'll change the rules that allowed experiments to be done to children... I made a vow to myself, that I will make sure none like the Estraneo continue to be free to do what they want. They can't be allowed, they're the antithesis to everything good. It's... the least I could do for Mukuro and the other two. He... he had his subordinates hurt my mom, but... I can't condemn him no matter how much I may have wanted to rip him limb from limb. It wasn't in me to blame him when he can't help being what he is."

Lancia was silent for a time before he stood suddenly and moved to kneel before Tsuna. The boy swallowed a sound of surprise. He doesn't want people doing that, he's nothing special and even if he was 'something special' he wouldn't want to be knelt down to like royalty! He's just a boy.

 _["I, Lancia Alduino, pledge my power, loyalty, and life to Tsunayoshi Sawada, future boss of the Vongola. I will protect him and watch over him, and I will do the same for his Family as though they have always been my own. Any burden he has can be shared with me if he so wishes it. Any order he has, I will do in good faith. Under this binding pledge I am his."]*_

Tsuna shivered as his Sky Flame alone, pure and non-Lightning affected, rose up and gently wreathed his body as he went on autopilot and slid to the grass. He reached out and took Lancia's hand and the Sky Flames moved, covering it and spreading to form a weaker aura of Sky that appeared to recede into him. Lancia shivered and ducked his head.

"I accept your pledge, Lancia-san." Tsuna smiled a bit shyly. "Now you're mine to protect as well, the same as the rest of my _Famiglia_."

A shuddering sigh left the older man before he stood and pulled his boss up along. "I can ask for nothing more and nothing less, young _Padrone._ "

* * *

 *** Tsuna's Mini Breakdown Pre-Home: Delayed reaction until the threat was "taken out".**

 *** Tsuna's letting go of his anger toward Mukuro: Letting him experience what the Mist user went through did it.**

 *** Lancia's Pledge: If you lovely readers could take this as** _ **it really happened**_ **somewhat in the story, I will love you even more to bits.**

 **PLEASE REVIEW, and also please, please _critique_. **

**THE WHY OF UPDATING TODAY : A friend of mine is working so I pick up her siblings. She's working till five tomorrow and my laptop has seen better days, so i'm scared to take it to a house full of little children. They might be allowed to come over to my place, however, so there's that hope!**

 **I promise to finish answering reviews. I'm a slow, slow turtle.**


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**THANK YOU: JUST SET ME ON FIRE, Arashi - IV of VI, general zargon, Dragon God xxx, vampireharry the 2, xChaosRebornx, Zivyx, BOSS02109, Glaindy, Yana5, loveleydragonfly, Littlest1, LioPyro7890, Guest, 7, Kuroi Rin, Hime-chan Natsumi, Akayuki Novak, BlackxDragonxEmperor, history, Of Stories Told, Natsu Yuuki, Minaly22, sympatheticassassin, MissSexyRain, ilove0t6forever, and oOGolden-MoonOo. :D Thank you all very much, and thank you to anyone who put this on their favorites and watch list.**

 **I have** _ **307 motherfreaking reviews**_ **on this** _ **.**_ **3-0-7. I can't... part of me is happy I've been incredibly lucky, and another part wonders where all the flames I've been expecting have gone. (Oh, here they come!) But seriously** **thank every single one who commented and reviewed** _ **.**_ **:)**

 **Three children won't make answering reviews easy, and from now until at least ten (maybe) I'll be entertaining children, so it won't be until much later that I get to answering the rest of the reviews. I'm sorry!**

 **GUEST: I'm a sucker for stories that emphasize friendship and family and bonds. That preference will show through in my writing, I hope at least. :) As for the chocolate scene... well, I'm glad you enjoyed it. x3**

* * *

 _ **"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.**_

* * *

Over the next month, and through a haze of pain caused by extreme training cooked up by Reborn, Fon, AND Nobu (who took to calling tonfa and other weapons "doorknobs" for reasons all students carefully did not ask about to spare their brains), Tsuna would feel a strange flutter in the pit of his stomach now and again.

More specifically what he felt was a familiar touch of Mist, one that felt slightly like the strained bond he'd experienced during Nobu's extended stay away; only difference here was that he received an echo of distress and discomfort not his own. When Tsuna slept he occasionally saw a murky, blurred world from inside a glass tube full of fluid. He could feel a contraption, a mask, attached to his face and over one eye, and Tsuna felt how tightly bound the Vindice left Mukuro's body. Whenever he had that dream he reacted without entirely understanding what he was doing with his Flames as he sent soft pulses of Rain-Resonating Sky in hopes of soothing away the tinge of fear he felt over his odd connection. Telling Reborn about the dreams never occurred to him.

After the Kokuyo Incident Tsuna had been relieved and eager for things to go back to the way they were and shove Mukuro's nightmarish memories away. But the start of those nightly visions were a punch to Tsuna's face and he felt guilt eat at him. He was doing nothing when he said would do something, so he began to plot in a notebook with full intentions to make sure Gokudera, Hana and Reborn peruse it eventually and tear the ideas to shreds if necessary. They were, after all, the most strategic ones and he valued their opinions.

As the month wore on these dreams grew more frequent and Tsuna used less Rain-Resonating Flames and more of his own pure Sky while subconsciously trying to draw Mukuro away from the cold place. Tsuna's home was warm, his room dry, and with him at least Mukuro would not suffer more. It wasn't until the last day of the month that Tsuna could have sworn that he'd succeeded in pulling something of Mukuro to where Tsuna felt safest and he awoke with the oddest sensation of having clutched at someone in his sleep.

 **. . .**

The Sawada household was saturated heavily with his mother's Mist Flame, while, similarly, Tsuna's unsealed-Sky had a constantly warm presence that usually heated the air nearest him just enough to be noticed. Not fun in the summer but at least he barely felt winter chills. Due to the saturation, as well as a lack of malicious intent, Tsuna did not notice any change in the atmosphere of his home. He only noticed anything because he began feeling warm-cold chills of _Mukuro is somewhere nearby_ trailing down his back like mischievous fingers every little while each day, and only at home. A week after he first began getting that weird tickle of Intuition he noticed Piero acting odd for an hour or two everyday.

It wasn't a dangerous sort of odd, and his Intuition was a gentle heat whenever he was in the same room as his cat, but it was more than enough to catch his attention. The behavior started with her not letting Reborn and the two youngest children ride on her back. It continued with her hiding away from everyone in high places, like the tops of cabinets. She even avoided Tsuna and her first "cub" Fuuta when not following the former around the house at a distance. It didn't take more than three days for Tsuna to come up with a troubling thought:

Was Mukuro doing something to his cat?

First there anger, and a lot of it; it took him ten minutes of concentrating on on Resonating-Rain with his Sky before his mind cleared and he felt he could think properly. He headed into the backyard and perched himself in the large oak to decide on possible actions before he sent a text to Aota. Yes, the monkey-bot was more than intelligent enough to communicate with him with her own thoughts, though usually done through pictures due to her own preference. He politely asked her to spend time with his cat and send him texts on her behavior, and she sent a smile emote as an affirmative. For the next two hours each text consisted of a simple report, or photos of his cat sleeping in warm patches of sunlight while sitting on a windowsill. Napping on a corner of his bed, or poking at her food with a curious paw but never eating it when in an "off mood", but the times at her food bowl usually resulted in her giving a sneeze and shaking her head before resuming Piero behavior and playing with the children.

This gave Tsuna an idea concerning his cat, one that he decided to check out while on a run with Piero when not in one of her "moods". He stopped in his favorite park, Nagakusa, and sat beneath an oak with her in his arms. She wriggled a bit, trying to get comfortable, and when she did she curled up and settled in for a kitty nap. Tsuna started meditating and dove deep into his Sky Flame, pulling on it more than any time outside of battle and willing himself to just _know_ whatever was up with her. It an hour and several texts to his friends explaining only half of what he was doing, but he did it:

He felt Flames inside Piero as his own connected with whatever animal system of energy she had. Sky and Sun, Lightning, and Mist. The energies circulated in time with her heart and were all held in harmony with the Sky. He pondered over his cat and decided she had absorbed different Flames of the Sky and made them her own automatically, and it likely started when he first healed her.

As an experiment while he was still connected with her like this he summoned soft Sky Flames to one fist and started to gently pet her back. He almost jumped when he felt the slightest draw on his Flames, barely noticeable and only because he wasn't giving energy to heal her. He drew back and layered his hand in as gentle a Sky-Lightning Flame as he could manage and he placed his hand on her fur. It poofed up a bit, spiking and hardening, and there was the same draw since he was in contact with her, and Tsuna let that go one for a few minutes. Curiosity got the better of him and he pulled a Vongola stone from his pocket, a purple fluorite, and used it to make Cloud-type Flames to save himself a few minutes. When he put his Cloud coated hand on Piero's back she stirred and turned, leveling a deadpan a look on him as though saying "Really now?", then she seemingly returned to napping even as her body absorbed the purple Flames.

"Where the heck did madre even get you?*"

His cat twitched an ear before twisting so her belly was exposed and she looked up with eyes that said, "Why are you asking me, genius?" Tsuna chuckled and obligingly scratched her belly and he was rewarded with a loud purring.

 **. . .**

Now and again Tsuna got the chance to pet Piero when she was in a "mood", but the contact wasn't enough to tell Tsuna for sure. If he was to sense Mukuro in his cat he needed to pick her up and hold her close. So he waited until he walked into a room with Piero and recieved a brief warm-cold shiver again before he decided to use the Shadow Step Technique to catch her unaware. She had been sprawled on the couch during a rare day when nearly everyone, including Reborn, was out doing something else.

Piero let out an unholy yowl as he snatched her up and quickly dropped down onto the couch where he ignored her needle sharp claws biting into his face and shoulder. He held her close and did not let go. She was hissing and growling in a terridied way and Tsuna could feel his heart break a bit despite knowing that, indeed, Mukuro was inside his cat. There was bitter fear trickling over the Harmony and Tsuna restrained Piero with one hand and started stroking her back and muttering softly in Italian and promising he would buy her a dozen pieces of salmon if she would only stop acting weird. Tsuna's knee-jerk reaction to that feeling of fear - of anything negative coming over the connection - that normally came in the dead of night, left Tsuna releasing a soft surge of pure Sky warming the room several degrees.

His cat, rather Mukuro, froze with claws dug deep into his shoulder. Tsuna did not stop, he continued to drag his fingers through Piero's thick fur and resisted the urge to rub his cheek against her face like he normally would when cuddling her in private. When the needle claws withdrew, Mukuro rested Piero's chin on Tsuna's shoulder and slowly let the tension melt from his cat body. Tsuna sighed and after a moment's deliberation, very softly rubbed his cheek on his cats head; this startled Mukuro and the tension returned for several worrying moments, but then something familiar happened. Inaudible as it was, Tsuna could feel the gentle vibration of a purr.

"There we go, Piero," he said, voice soft and a bit cracked from too many emotions. "You were my first friend," _You can be my friend, Mukuro,_ "I could never hurt you on purpose."

A soft, low meow tickled his ear and Tsuna pulled away to smile at both his cat and the boy he decided was worth giving a chance to.

 **o o o**

Mukuro began to tolerate more of the daily Sawada household visitors, and eventually Tsuna began thinking of Possessed-Piero as Romu* just to make things easier on himself.

Unless Tsuna or Nana were in the room, Romu did not let the children anywhere near him. First, he didn't seem to mind Fuuta's gentle presence (and Tsuna decided to extend unspoken trust in that he had no reason to hurt the kids and therefore wouldn't). I-Pin, being more mature than her cow-print wearing friend, could brush Romu's fur everyday. Hibari seemed to instinctively know when it Romu and not Piero and became visibly displeased when Tsuna held or petted the possessed cat, once going so far as to pick up and put the cat out of the room before throwing a small bottle of hand sanitizer at Tsuna. Hibari shrugged when questioned. Lambo was the only one rambunctious enough to get rough with Piero and was used to rough-housing with the playful cat, but he tugged on Romu's ear and earned a scratch on the cheek.

Tsuna had locked Romu in his room for ten minutes for drawing a bit of Lambo's blood and returned to find a number of things knocked down and "Piero" sprawled over spilled paper and books like she frequently did in her first two years. The young Sky rolled his eyes and picked up the cat to drop him on the bed while muttering in Italian about sneaky little furballs being too cute for their own good.

The criminal Mist grew braver as a month passed and finally left the house to begin following Tsuna around town, always watching with his cats guileless green and amber eyes. Tsuna came up with a theory on this and finally talked to Reborn, saying that Mukuro was possessing his cat in a text and that he thinks the strange Mist user was studying him, or at least taking advantage of Piero's love filled life.

R.T: _It's about time you said something. I thought you were suddenly too stupid to notice your cat acting out of character._

T.T: _I noticed right away, but I didn't get any sense of doom. I waited and caught my cat to make sure I was right... I won't make any assumption over his intentions, but as he is, needing to possess Piero, he's not strong enough to hurt me._

R.T: _You have more to say, spill it._

T.T: _Your psychic thing will never stop being creepy. Anyway, I don't think he really means to hurt me, at least not yet (if at all at this point). Otherwise Piero wouldn't let him in._

R.T: _How do you know she has the choice?_

T.T: _I don't know where mom bought Piero, but she has Sky, Sun (and Resonated-Sun), Lightning, Mist, Sky-Lightning, and Resonated-Cloud Flames in her system. She can absorb them and make them her own, and I think her body naturally makes Flames too, but I can't know for sure. It has to be why she's weirdly big for a cat, and why she's so strong and smart too. Besides, Aota's reports show that she can shake off Mukuro's possession at will when she wants to eat or play. He needs her consent._

R.T: _Hm. He was lurking in the corners of the several rooms for a week. Spying. Probably watching you change. Still don't mind him in your cat?_

T.T: _Stop messing with me. I knew when he was in a room and he never watched me undress. Besides, he's probably trying to find or understand something about us._

R.T: _Why would you bother me with this if you are so certain he's neutral?_

T.T: _I didn't want you shooting my cat._

R.T: _Don't make me inflict the Leon-Jig on you. I like that cat more than you._

Tsuna rolled his eyes before looking at Piero. She, or Romu, was lounging on the ground and seemingly enjoying being able to relax on the soft warm grass of middle June. It was Sunday and there was nothing planned by the teachers, so Tsuna took this as a "personal training" afternoon. The sun was shining and he was wearing another Irukaza Training Suit, this time weighing 45 lbs for both top and pants, leaving Tsuna to wonder how human he really was. He couldn't be turning demi-human through his training, right? It was a very scary thought and he was glad that he had a good level of self-control.

T.T: _Funny, I like her more than you too. More importantly, has Shamal mailed the cure to Hibari's Sakura Sickness yet?_

R.T: _Yes, it should be in your mail box tomorrow. He's been surprisingly hard to track down and he was in Russia when my man found him. He's not keen on having a student of mine on his ass for harming a comrade. He's under the impression I'm raising a demon._

Tsuna laughed and ignored Romu's curious eyes. The Decimo put his phone into his black and silver lion themed Spacial Lumbar Pack (a new one designed by Spanner, Shoichi, Haru, with input from Gokudera at the bomber's insistence), powered by his Sky and "affected" by his mother's Mist and enhanced by an unspecified someone's Sun. It was packed like his old duffel and acted as an everyday-carry that held first aid supplies, emergency food, extra money and identification, and a lot more than just Gokudera's explosives and chemical bombs. Even knowing it was a powerful illusion, Tsuna still secretly thought of the Hold's-Everything-That-Can-Fit bag as magic.

With a soft groan Tsuna stretched and jogged on the spot to warm himself up, then took off at a fast sprint with Romu following a few yards behind. Another half hour of running ended with the young Decimo getting hit in the chest with a dustbin sized fist of icy warning and he tripped face first into the grass of a park. He groaned and felt his possessed cat jump onto his back with a soft meow and Tsuna could swear there was amusement coming over the connection. He stood, dislodging Romu, and jogged over to a copse of trees that would sufficiently block him from view of other people. Of course the cat followed and watched him curiously.

Tsuna stripped off his sweaty t-shirt and shorts, forcing himself to mostly ignore that Mukuro was right there in his cat's body. Before this he had always put his cat out of the room whenever Mukuro was in her so he could change without wigging himself out. A part of him still hated a certain set of scars, and those he planned to deal with using his own power when he felt his Sun-Resonated Sky was mastered well enough. Now, knowing what Mukuro and two other living Estraneo children went through, it put things into perspective. He felt he was being neurotic and stuck in his past when, ever since mastering one martial art, he has never been in danger from another attack like that, especially with his Flames. Tsuna was working to push through the complex he had developed.

Romu meowed and he turned to look at the cat while he removed the form fitting long-sleeved skin-tone top of the body suit. A curious tilt of the cat's head was all the reaction he gave to seeing old bullet wounds and multiple other scars on top of the forever suspicious ones stretching over his chest. Tsuna slung the shirt over his shoulder and removed the long weighted pants and balled both garments together before tossing them in the air straight up and stepping out of the way.

It wasn't quite as dramatic as Rock Lee's reveal, but his two garments made a nice hole in the ground and Romu's eyes bugged out.

Dressed in nothing but polka dot boxers, Tsuna managed a chuckle despite the persistent, consuming chill drawing him to act on impulse*. He pulled out a tank top, a sleeveless hoodie from his bag, and basketball shorts before quickly dressing and digging his wallet out from a side pocket of his lumbar pack. There was, as always, plenty of dirty Iemitsu money.

Tsuna knelt beside his possessed cat and scratched under Romu's chin. "I'm going to have to run very fast, so you could go home or go do kitty stuff."

Romu narrowed his eyes in thought before stretching and eyeing him expectantly. A hint of impatience crossed the bond and Tsuna grinned a bit.

"Try to keep up."

Namimori was a big, green and beautiful place, as was mentioned many chapters ago. That said, the population was lower than one might expect from the city's* size. "Safe" and clean, a good number of people retire here and bring their families too. Tsuna's goal was an hour's run away by the average person's stamina and speed, but this was Tsuna, who not only trained under Nobu, but the likes of Reborn and Fon. He left the park, knelt, and flooded his body with hybrid Flames until he felt jittery and fit to burst from the energy alone, then he took off, running with more speed than when Spanner first called him Sonic. Nine minutes later Tsuna paused to look around and almost jumped at seeing Romu beside him, looking just a bit ruffled by the wind resistance during such a fast run. Maybe the hybrid Flame he let her absorb a few days ago gave her heightened speed?

Warmth zipped up Tsuna's spine like hot, playful fingers and he turned to the left. It was the busy intersection he stopped by and there were some people hurrying across the street, late to the light. There was a girl coming up behind the stragglers and at first glance she was very cute and rather dainty. She was pale, had dark purple hair, and wore a cream colored blouse and a long pleated black skirt. What struck Tsuna was how she walked with a hunch while clutching her book bag with such a lonely, quietly miserable expression - like she was scared to open up, perhaps because she felt no one would care. She was part way across the road and coming toward him, and he felt himself pale at the sight of a car speeding her way.

He didn't stop to think, his only thought was to save her, so he summoned up Sky-Lightning and rushed through the heavy crowd of people, unaware of Romu weaving through the masses several feet behind him, and he reached the girl only moments before the car hit. Tsuna's push sent her rolling back with a shriek of surprise and pain, and the Decimo's barely hybrid Flame hardened body was slammed with what felt like a Reborn kick times a hundred. He flew and landed, rolling more than a few times while the sound of crunching and breaking bones bounced around his dazed head. When he came to a stop he felt almost numb beneath the heavy weight of familiar, though much worse, pain.

People were gathering and one of them was the girl. She had pushed her way through and was leaning over him with tears dripping down her face. Romu was on his other side, hissing and swiping at people, only it wasn't him. Tsuna could tell Piero was herself from the subtle orange he could suddenly see in both her eyes. Mukuro's presence washed over Tsuna and though his vision was beginning to darken he could see the Mist user's spirit leaning close to Purple Hair girl.

Piero's warm body crawled over him and rested on his stomach. He could distantly feel and hear her purring furiously and she mewled plaintively when he did not, could not, respond. Tsuna wanted to put his arm around his cat, make her feel better, but he was bleeding, he was barely breathing, and he he was going to die before telling anyone in his _Famiglia_ that he was some perverted weirdo who liked too many of them. A hand reached over him and pulled his arm up and over his cat. Tsuna's hazy eyes flickered to the girl and her expression wasn't teary or horrified, this was Mukuro. This expression was solemn and fierce, brows pinched as "she" frowned down at him even while the feeling of sweetly warm Mist Flames, like early spring, began to wrap around the Decimo. Mukuro placed one of his hands over Tsuna's heart and the other on his forehead and the lukewarm feeling increased tenfold and still felt pleasant.

Using Italian the criminal growled in her voice, _"You are not allowed to die like this."_

And Mist flooded Tsuna, washing over splintered and cracked bones, mingling with his Sky-Lightning and forcing Tsuna's Flame to cooperate through their odd Guardian bond to physically right, with illusions, everything that was damaged. Tsuna's breathing improved, his pain was fading, and suddenly all his senses were sharper, like a thick blanket was removed after too many years. He was dying before, he shouldn't be surprised.

Mukuro-girl tugged at his hair harder than necessary. "Well, little Vongola, you're going to live. You saved the girl and now she's coming with us back to your house."

Tsuna tightened his arm around Piero and sat up with nothing but a twinge of slight pain. He looked around and noticed that everyone gathered was walking away with confused faces and an ambulance drove right on by. Evidently Mukuro was using the girl as a medium.

"Is she... is this consensual?"

A wry smirk crossed Mukuro-girl's lips and she flicked his forehead. "She has no love at home. She is hated and neglected, and mistreated. No one would miss her here, she guarantees it. Little miss Nagi wishes to repay you somehow and would like it very much if she could run away with you."

Choosing to ignore that last bit for the moment, Tsuna slowly stood upright and clenched the hand he was sure he'd broken. He looked himself over and smiled in appreciation when he saw no blood anywhere. "Mukuro, how long does this last?"

Nagi-Mukuro stepped close and pressed her forehead to his with an amused smirk. "Your funny Flames will keep it going strong for at least four months even without my assistance, but I would suggest having your three Suns heal you up."

Tsuna swallowed and stepped back with a slightly flushed face. "Okay, I will. C-come on then, Nagi-san, Pervert-san."

"Fufufu. When did you realize it was me in the cat?"

"That first time I grabbed you up when you were in Piero."

Very briefly Nagi-Mukuro froze before continuing on walking beside him. "I was under the impression that you wouldn't take well to anyone being possessed."

"I'm sure you've noticed but she's a special cat. You needed her permission to use her, right?"

Mukuro huffed slightly. "It took a week to convince her I only wanted to observe you and that I had no intent to harm. The question is... why were you so... touchy with me?"

At this Tsuna's cheeks pinked a bit and he quickened his pace to a corner store he saw just up the street. Mukuro smirked and looped Nagi's arm with his and snuggled close, eliciting an amusing "Hiie!" from the darkly blushing boy when certain female assets pressed to his arm. But the Decimo was stubborn and kept his mouth shut during the two minute shopping trip to buy salmon rice balls and milk tea to share. Outside the store Tsuna shoved two wrapped onigiri into the possessed girl's hands and then handed over a drink before he started walking away with Piero easily balanced on his shoulder.

"You really won't say why you practically molested me while in the cat?"

Tsuna paused and sent a venomous glare toward the Mist user, and the only sign of surprise was the shrewd narrowing of his eyes.

"Fine, you jackass, I wanted to show you how nice it feels to be cared for. Now please, stop spouting crap."

Mukuro started eating one of his onigiri, humming in delight at the first taste of food in over two months. "I don't know what you wanted to accomplish by that endeavor, little Vongola, but I have discovered something."

"I'm not sure I want to know so I won't ask."

"Kufufu. You'll find out soon enough."

"When you next try and take my body?"

"My, my, how utterly blasé you are about that. There are different ways to... _take_ a body, if you know what I mean."

Tsuna turned a blank face on the Mist user. "Huh?"

Nagi-Mukuro stared at him for a long moment before bursting into sharp laughter. "You really are too much. Even she understands somewhat."

Tsuna frowned. "If you ask me I'm not... _innocent_ enough, but whatever."

"Kufufu. We'll see, little Sky, we'll see."

 **. . .**

The moment Tsuna walked in the door he was tackled by Fuuta, I-Pin and Lambo with cries of "Papa!" and "Bàba!". Fortunately he was used to this and stayed upright with two kids on his shoulders and Fuuta clinging to his waist. Nagi-Mukuro watched this, as always, with hidden puzzlement as s/he followed him in and shut the door.

"Tsu-kun! I didn't think you were going to be home for dinner!" His madre poked her head into the main hall and smiled upon seeing Nagi. "Did you bring home a girlfriend, Tsu-kun?"

Mukuro kept his chuckle inside and left Nagi's body to return to Piero and watched as the girl blushed heavily and hunched in on herself while her gaze fell to the floor. Her stutters of denial were so soft spoken Tsuna barely heard them from right beside her and he looked at the girl in concern. Nagi hugged her book bag and looked up through her bangs with two beautiful violet eyes as she forced a louder, cracked sentence saying that she was not Tsuna's girlfriend. Nana looked closely at the girl before her face fell into a sad smile. Through motherly magic she steered the girl into the kitchen while dragging Tsuna and sat them both down. In very little time there was a plate of chocolate chip cookies on the table with mugs of warmed milk tea before them.

Tsuna smiled at his mother. "This is Nagi-san, madre. She... I saved her from a car accident and... well, the both of you should talk because I would like Nagi-san to stay with us... but and only if she wants to!"

A look of concern flashed across his mother's face before she turned to Nagi and showed her a beautiful warm-the-world smile. The purple haired girl blushed red and looked down at the cat she held in her lap.

"So, Nagi-chan, why did my Tsu-kun bring you here?"

Nagi opened her mouth to talk several times and shrunk in her seat. A minute ticked by before she pulled out a notebook and pencil.

 _"To my mother and step-father I'm a worthless burden. They ignore my existence when not insulting me or saying things to make me hate myself. I'm not pretty enough to be a model or a superstar like mother, and her husband treats me like a bug that should be stepped on. There's no love there and it's lonely and it hurts. I'm sorry for intruding and following your son home, Sawada-san. He saved my life,_ _ **me**_ _, and he's the first person to really look at me in what feels like years."_

Tsuna's stomach was curdling and he quietly seethed. His mother, though her smile was fixed as she poked holes through a cookie with a chopstick, felt the same way as she envisioned visiting Nagi's parents and letting them feel a mother's righteous rage. Imagining teaching the little girl's parents a lesson calmed Nana and she reached forward to touch Nagi's hand as the girl began shaking and working up the courage to ask something.

"Nagi-chan, you are welcome to stay. Homes are meant to be lively and full of people and smiles, and I would be happy to let you live with us."

"E... even... um..." Nagi swallowed hard and started poking her palm with the pencil, then she screwed up her face in a look of adorable determination and she looked Nana in the eyes. "I would like to be of help... l-like a live-in n-nanny... or wh-whatever you need, S-Sawada-san."

Nana and Tsuna both stared in surprise, but his mother smiled brightly ("Please, Nagi-chan, call me Nana-chan until you're comfortable calling me mamma like Tsu-kun's other friends!") and Romu managed a strange little sound that was almost like a laugh. Tsuna sat back and watched the scene with a smile as his mother pulled out a notebook (where she usually wrote grocery lists) and started planning out the "basement suite" for Nagi. This alarmed the soft-spoken girl who tried to reject that and insist she only needed a small room. Nana, however, was not to be swayed. She saw a neglected and tormented child, reminding her painfully of Tsuna when he was so bullied and pushed around as a kid long before Piero, and her instincts were to pamper Nagi. There was little danger in spoiling her, she had a feeling she was like her Tsu-kun that way.

Back to the Decimo, his Intuition was warm and comforting, like honeyed milk tea in winter and he knew he made the right decision. He stretched up, feeling a pull and a faint twinge of something bordering pain, and he yelped when his large cat leaped from Nagi's lap and landed on him with a pointed squint.

"R-right... um, madre?"

"Mm?" Nana looked over and immediately spotted the look of someone readying themselves to say something extremely worrying. "Oh, Tsu-kun, what happened?"

Nagi shrunk in on herself and pulled her bag into her lap to hide behind it. Tsuna winced as Mukuro's claws dug into his skin through his pants and he could imagine the Mist user mentally ordering him to get on with it. Delaying the healing will do him no good.

"Wh-when I saved Nagi-san from the accident I was hit by the car. I must not have been quick enough with my Flames since... I was... um, dying." Nana's eyes flooded with tears and she was out of that chair and at his side in moments, hands fluttering fearfully as she pressed his head and felt along his arms and sides for any jutting pieces of bone, then she fell to her knees and hugged him tight. Tsuna gently nudged Romu out of his lap and returned the hug. "An acquaintance of mine was nearby though, and they have Mist Flames too. He worked with my Flames to make an illusion inside me to hold my body together and keep me alive! I just need Reborn, Kyoko and Ryohei to get fixed up."

Nana kissed her son on the forehead and stood before she grabbed his wrist and gently dragged him out into the living room. There she sat him down, wrapped him in a thin blanket, and called to Nagi with a polite request for her to bring the tea and cookies out for Tsuna. A softly called "R-right away" answered and Tsuna allowed his mother to sit with him and play with his hair as she called Kyoko first, followed by the boxer, and then she called Reborn.

Tsuna, meanwhile, was dreading what punishment the Arcobaleno would no doubt plan since he literally dropped self-training and got himself run over by a car. Reborn, at least, would not be pleased with how he was nearly killed in such a "mundane" way, as opposed to fighting against an enemy and going out with a bang.

Honestly, retiring to the countryside or an island sounded awesome instead of epic fights to the death.

 **. . .**

Following the three Sun's his entire _Famiglia_ arrived at the house because he sent a mass text explaining very simply that he had been hit by a car when saving someone, and he brought that person back. In the process of tackling her out of the way he was hurt very badly, but there was no need to worry though, since someone with powerful Mist Flames put an illusion over his injuries to keep him alive. He'll be perfectly fine after some healing.

Minutes before everyone arrived Tsuna promised Nagi that he would not let anyone hurt her, but that wasn't a necessary reassurance since no one would even want to. Hibari was the very last to arrive after everyone else rushed in with varying looks of panic and concern on their faces. The Cloud and took up a position against a far wall to observe his Anaguma with sharp eyes.

Tsuna stood from the couch and smiled nervously at his _Famiglia_. "G-guys, this is Nagi-san. She's the one I saved."

Reborn, who had been sitting on a tense Takeshi's shoulders, jumped off and snagged Tsuna's shirt as he sailed by the boy's head and he bodily threw the teen into Hibari's plush Observe-the-Herbivore's chair, drawing a squeak of alarm from Nagi. Tsuna groaned from his uncomfortable upside down position on the sturdy chair and let himself topple off and onto the floor with a loud thump. There he shifted until he was bowing from the floor. His face was calm if a little nervous.

"Now that we're here, _Dame-_ Tsuna, you can explain to everyone what went down."

The Decimo winced. If his tutor was calling him that then he really, really fucked up. Probably the _getting nearly killed by a car_ part of the rescue.

"My Intuition hit me like a sledgehammer. I had to leave pretty right then," Tsuna said, taking the time to glance guiltily into several of the faces of his group members, which included Spanner, Shoichi, Fon and Haru, who seemed to be keeping quiet through sheer force of will while Ryohei had a piece of duct tape slapped over his mouth. Lancia sat to the side with Fuuta and the other children, and the man watched him with faint disapproval on top of his worry, which stung more than he probably expected. "I wasn't... really thinking, I know. It was just this need to leave and save Nagi-san before I even met her. I tackled her out of the way of a big speeding car and I wasn't quick enough with reinforcing my body so I was... pretty much shattered upon impact... um... an acquaintance with Mist was there to help make an illusion that saved my life, which is why I'm even functioning right now."

"Juudaime, we wouldn't have stopped you. We would have tried to meet you part way," said Gokudera. There was hurt and understanding on his face, and the pain there made Tsuna feel like crap.

There was a _nine_ minute window in which he could have texted them, but that was a fifty-fifty chance. Either he texted and still made it in time, or did texted and made it in time to see Nagi's broken body.

"I'm sorry..." Tsuna swallowed hard and bowed his head. "I'm sorry to all of you. I wasn't thinking and there wasn't enough time, and I'm... I guess I'm still getting used to my Intuition."

Kyoko threw herself off the couch before anyone else could move and pulled him into a hug. There were tears in her pretty eyes. "Tsuna-kun, please try and take Onii-chan or me with you next time, and definitely take Reborn-kun!"

Tsuna swallowed and returned the embrace. "I'll keep that in mind, Kyoko-chan." Tsuna pressed his face to her shaking shoulders. "I will do that. You and the rest have worked hard to become strong, I won't ignore that."

After this Tsuna was subjected to scoldings from Hana, Fon, Spanner, a kick to the stomach by Reborn, a light punch to the shoulder by Hana (followed by a tight hug), a tonfa smack to the head by Hibari, and a hug from Takeshi as he scolded him too. Gokudera bowed and promised to watch Tsuna's back forever, and overall Tsuna felt overwhelmed by seeing how much everyone cared that he was so hurt. He knew he shouldn't be surprised, and mostly he wasn't, but it was a reminder that he was important to them. Just as he holds them in high regard.

When Reborn ushered everyone but the Sun-users out, which included Shuichi who volunteered to help. Nagi wanted to take this chance to flee to somewhere quieter, but Mukuro sharing headspace had advised against this earlier on. They would be needed to slowly lift away the illusion bit by bit to allow Tsuna's complete recovery.

Fortunately the healing went off without a problem, mainly because Reborn, right from the start, promised to hang Ryohei from his ears if he did not focus a hundred percent. The quiet threat in the hitman's baby voice actually reached Ryohei, though there was little chance of the boxer goofing off while doing something so important, but it was really more for the hitman's peace of mind. It took an hour for the first part of the healing, done by Reborn and Kyoko as they fixed what Mukuro's powerful illusion slowly lifted away from and their job was internal damage, as in ruptured veins, ripped muscle, and torn organs. Ryohei took over the healing of Tsuna's bones and bruises with Shuichi supplying extra Sun Flames to facilitate faster healing, and it was another hour of healing to fix up every big and little bone of cracks and bruises.

Once he was healed Nagi shyly asked if she could go sit and collect herself somewhere. Tsuna suggested she go poke through the photo albums in the attic, completely forgetting about Mukuro sharing her body.

Tsuna explained that she had helped the Mist user fix him up, but was still a beginner herself. She simply recalled what he did and undid it. In a private text to Reborn he told the infant that it was Mukuro who fixed him, and the Arcobaleno had a thoughtful expression.

 **. . .**

It was evening when Tsuna decided it was time to drag Nagi downstairs and properly introduce her to the others. When he entered the attic he found the girl seated by the window and looking at a black novel sized album. Tsuna recognized it as one of his mother's weirder habits when he was younger. She had taken to collecting photographs of the results of his worst accidents post hospital trips and the album was pretty full.

"Nagi-san?"

"She wishes to be called Chrome Dokuro now." The smooth, slightly deeper and much stronger tone of her voice alone would have told Tsuna who was at the wheel, so to speak. Mukuro-Chrome flipped a page and hummed at the last photo, of him showing his numerous stitches from the dog attack. "She believes her birth name is trash. Who am I to disagree as the soul sharing her body?"

"Ah..." Tsuna fidgeted slightly. "New life, new name... anyway, I want to properly introduce her to the rest of my group, so if you could... let her take the, um, wheel, I would really appreciate it."

Mukuro-Chrome snapped the album shut and dropped it on the seat. There was a sort of glint in Chrome's purple eyes and Tsuna's Intuition twinged warm and cold as he let the illusionist approach close enough to nearly touch chest-to-chest. Tsuna swallowed hard and shuffled back a step as he looked the possessed Mist straight on, gaze unwavering. A flare of Mist later and it was _Mukuro_ standing before him, and instead of purple eyes the Decimo was looking at a chest clothed in a camouflage patterned shirt. Mukuro himself quite easily over Tsuna's measly 5'2", and yet the Decimo's instincts and Intuition did not scream danger.

A slight smirk crossed Mukuro's handsome face. "You are such an enigma, Tsunayoshi-kun. That Intuition of yours is a shame. Even if I wanted to hurt you I wouldn't be able to... you would slip between my fingers like an eel. It's really not worth the hassle of trying to lay claim to you as I am right now. I will wait until I'm free..."

Tsuna's face deadpanned, reading his words as literal body-possession. "Sounds like a plan. Now, I'd like to introduce Nagi-san to the rest of my friends and _Famiglia_."

Mukuro smirked and leaned down until his warm breath tickled across Tsuna's lips. "You interest me, Tsunayoshi-kun... for now I'll keep you alive and relatively pure."

And like that the illusionist released his possession on Chrome and he came face to face with the blushing, wide-eyed girl who squeaked and stumbled back with a yelp of apology. Faced with her, Tsuna's face turned pink as he quickly assured her it was fine, he would never blame her for what Mukuro does.

Now... for a proper introduction to his _Famiglia_.

* * *

 **OMAKE,**

 _ **Where do they live?****_

Well over a month after the Kokuyo incident marked the days where Tsuna and Lancia relaxed. The man had been staying in the backyard with shelter from a tent despite Nana's best efforts at persuading him to stay inside. He felt the place was already too crowded and he was a big man, he didn't want to impose on her and he felt he did no matter what she said.

One day Reborn threw a folder at Lancia's face and the man caught it. Inside were pictures of a large home, equal to the Sawada's nd only three doors away, with four bedrooms above ground, and a basement with a medium sized bedroom on the side. Tsuna recognized it as the home of an old bully of his, one that his mother and her special poison smile had scared off years ago. They had moved several days prior and Tsuna noticed a lot of moving vans going to and leaving the neighborhood.

It was a completely different place now. Someone had painted it a dark stormy gray, had the roof reshingled to be more an off white, and the walled in front had a long pond with pretty koi and a mini bridge going over it. Inside the color scheme was black floors of thick, soft carpets, and walls painted to resembles a leaves or mossy ground. The living room was a forest floor mid fall, with leaves of reds, deep yellows, and oranges. The detail was beautiful and when Tsuna gave Reborn a curious look the infant shrugged and said he told the designers a few suggestions and told them to have fun - but not too much, or he'd shoot them.

Each room had walls resembling some part of a forest, with the master bedroom, Lancia's, resembling pine trees with a plush floor of deep brown with large patches of mossy green. There was a big bed, a book case full of novels and little things, and there was a mini fridge in a corner.

Lancia was grateful, and that put it mildly. He bowed to Reborn, who perched on Tsuna's shoulder as usual, and thanked him solemnly, saying that to repay them both he would do his utmost best to protect the tenth generation Vongola Family.

Seeing Lancia's home made Tsuna wonder. He _still_ didn't know where Gokudera lived. He waited until there was another big family dinner, with everyone invited (and Hibari given large helpings to bring home and share with his mother instead of attending), Tsuna took Gokudera aside and asked where he lived. It turned out that the bomber used to stay at a run down hotel until he got a job at a grocery store and started living at a slightly better apartment. Naturally Tsuna decided to follow Gokudera to his building.

He did not like it. Namimori was a great looking place, and arguably a good place to live, and Gokudera had found the absolute worst area to stay in. Tsuna first face-palmed, because _really_ , and then he told Gokudera that he needed to find somewhere better, and that until then he could stay over with him. The look on his Storm's face was priceless, a mix of awe, disbelief, and hope, and when Tsuna nodded, Gokudera bowed deeply and asked whether this was an order or not.

Tsuna decided this would be a harmless order. So it was. Which is how Gokudera Hayato came to sleep in the attic for two weeks. He found a small but nice apartment three days before Chrome's arrival.

* * *

 **** Piero's Mystery: Will be answered when Nana's family appears! Rather, her grandmother [** **redacted** **].**

 **** ROMU: Makes it easier on me not to constantly refer to Mukuro-cat as** _ **that**_ **or Mukuro-Piero or "Piero" and etcetera.**

 **** Tsuna Intuition: I suppose you could technically call it something sort of like Intuitive** _ **Precognition**_ **since, well yeah. He's had those moments. He gets a sense of things to come, but only in HDW mode does his usual Intuition become more like canon!Tsuna's Hyper Intuition. I should** _ **probably**_ **have cleared this up many chapters ago, but to be fair I'm sure readers smarter than me had an idea of it. :D**

 **** Town or City: It's a** **city** **. I have an awful feeling that I've referred to Namimori as a flipping town.**

 **** DIFFERENCES in Intuition Moments: His mother was hurt but not in danger of dying, neither was Piero, and that's why he could keep from tearing off after them right away. This time? Nagi/Chrome was in very danger of dying. Mukuro was with Tsuna's family after all, with a vessel of a sort to vicariously live through until he escapes (or, he plans to).**

 **** RELEVENT NOTE: Since Hibari once complained about the amount of "worms" invading Namimori (and consistently attacking a "cub" and his Anaguma's territory, leading to his subordinates getting run a bit ragged) Mitsuko has had Namimori bugged. It doesn't catch** _ **everyone**_ **since nothing is ever perfect, but she has kept a fair amount of thugs outside of the city. She leaves drama to the professionals who deal with that (ie, accidents).**

 **** Before anyone says anything... yes, I'm going to put up an omake about the time Gokudera spent living with the Sawada's. x3 Also, Lancia having his own home will be relevant. Later on.**

 **If parts of the chapter after Tsuna's gotta-save-Chrome flash of insight seems... off, that's because originally I had her living in Kokuyo. But Tsuna being** _ **so-so**_ **thoughtless as to not attempt to inform anyone of his intentions in the two hour drive between Namimori and Kokuyo... (rough draft, what can I say?) Now, at least, Nana has a legitimate excuse if she ever meets Chrome's mother. She wasn't** _ **actively**_ **looking for her, so... why not take the chance if she bumps into her?**

 **ANYWAY... I would love it if someone pointed out a mistake for me to fix. I'll be uploading this without a last-minute proofread since I'll have three children with me.**

 **PS. How much did you all hate or like what I did with Mukuro. It was planned ever since I realized a lot of you actually liked Piero as much as I did and went with the less dramatic and future relationship killing route of Piero, you know, getting killed by one of the Murkrow's minions.**


	20. Chapter Twenty

**THANK YOU TO: lovleydragonfly, Tegasus, Dragon of Selene, MissSexyRain, Hall of the Laughing King, EndlessChains, DemWildRemix, oOGolden-MoonOo, JUST SET ME ON FIRE, vampireharry the 2, Yumi014, Arashi - IV of VI, SakuraSamuraiGirl, Kuroi Rin, general zargon, Yana5, SilverDreamer-PhoenixotD, and Littlest1!**

 **NOTE [OF NON-STORY IMPORTANCE]: The thing about me is that I am very easy to distract and I find it a genuine miracle that I have 22 and a half chapters written up (yes, 23 is underway and mooostly done]. I'm also easy to distract when it comes to answering reviews, which any of you should feel free to beat me up over (just not physically). I'm probably going to get slower and slower about** _ **answering**_ **reviews, but I'm seeing them!**

 **NOTE: Thought I didn't have time before when I uploaded a few minutes ago... So, I'm sorry this came up so late, but thats the way life goes. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some One Punch Man to watch for stress relief (and not for the lateness). Please read and enjoy. :)**

 **ITALICS INSIDE BRACKETS are words spoken in** **Italian** **.**

* * *

 _ **"There is hope in dreams, imagination, and in the courage of those who wish to make those dreams a reality." ~ Jonas Salk.**_

* * *

Predictably the only one who had any real problem with Chrome at first was Gokudera. He was worried she was secretly a spy who would be Tsuna's ruin, and while that was amusing to the Decimo knowing she was certainly not like that, he could see some concern in other's faces.

To Tsuna's surprise he didn't have to speak up.

She did.

Chrome stepped forward, shivering from nerves, and she briefly bowed low at the waist before rising and casting her wide, fearful, and determined eyes around the room.

"Tsuna-sama saved my life. M-more than that... he and his mother are unspeakably kind." Her knuckles were white as she clenched her shirt. "They have offered to let me st-stay and help look after the children because... I have no... r-real home, not one where I've ever felt h-happy. I would _never_ hurt Tsuna-sama, Nana-san, the kids, or anyone he c-cares for."

There was a heavy silence as everyone weighed her words and the sincerity there, and then the Sasegawa siblings and two Rain's were the first to step forward and cheerfully welcome her. Rather in Hana's case she was greeted and gently asked to relax with a warm smile. No one would hurt her. From there Fuuta and the other kids found their freedom from the laps they were held in and they greeted Chrome loudly, with the de la Stella acting as mediator between her and the boisterous Lambo who had wanted a hug from the pretty "auntie". Spanner offered to create cool Nanny Gadgets to make looking after the kids easier, which flustered Chrome and drove her to stutter through asking him not to waste his time. The mechanic had snorted, smiled slightly, and waved her protests off before leaving the room whistling with Shoichi following. Haru remained long enough to bow and happily welcome her to the Family and that she promised things would be fun and happy for her. Fon, standing on Takeshi's shoulder, greeted her too and said that if she needed assistance with the children, and if he was available, he would gladly help. Gokudera was hunched grumpily as he walked up to her and said he'd accept her but he would be watching to make sure she didn't hurt Tsuna.

Chrome, though obviously nervous and still a bit frightened by the number of people, had nodded since she privately expected something like this even before Mukuro told her that Tsuna was, indeed, someone _highly_ important. She didn't understand everything quite yet, but she quietly said Gokudera was right to be careful of anyone new, and she shyly thanked him for being vigilant before she escaped to the kitchen to take solace from Nana's warm, and most importantly, _solitary_ presence.

Tsuna was amused to see that Gokudera felt flattered and seemed to be preening. Just enough for Takeshi to notice and get a laugh out of it. This lead to one-sided acerbic comments which the Rain ignored in favor of hugging Tsuna with one arm and suggesting everyone go to Takesushi to celebrate Chrome's joining the family, which Tsuna could tell was said in a very non-mafia game way.

 **. . .**

After being ordered to explain the whole mafia business to Chrome, well, Tsuna knew he had to go about it in a direct, though hopefully semi-delicate, manner.

He relied on his Sky and Romu in his lap, to keep relatively calm. He started with telling her of the Flames of the Sky and describing their individual abilities, then went into explaining the capabilities granted by his Sky Flames, from his Sky Magnetism, to his Sky Presence, then he showed her his Lightning in one palm and his Sky in the other, which got a gasp that sounded somewhere between delighted and awed. Only then did he tell her that he was, through necessity and the inability to deny inevitability, as well his own desire to see some good change in the world (if only for his group, and other children out there), going to be a part of the mafia underworld. In fact, due to his blood, he was the only heir left to a bloody, terrible "kingdom" called the Vongola.

Silence stretched on in the kitchen stretched as Chrome, nursing her milk tea from earlier, ruminated on the info-dump he laid out. He was worried she would run screaming and he only hoped there was some sort of Men In Black memory thing to protect her...

"Y-you really are... the heir to a g-genuine _Mafia_ , Tsuna-sama?"

The Decimo managed not to jump at the sound of her voice. "Yes, I am. But please, if you wouldn't mind too much, would you call me Tsuna- _san_ instead?"

Chrome looked up and pushed some hair behind her ear. Reluctantly she nodded and when he grinned she held herself a little higher knowing she put that smile on his face.

"I don't mind, Tsuna-san. Um... I b-believe you'll stay the same, you'll still b-be the same boy who saved..." _Someone like me_ , that thought was clear as she looked at her mug with a frown. "I promise... I-I'll look after the children. And with my Mist, c-couldn't I protect them? Um... m-maybe protect... y-you?"

Tsuna frowned at the slight flutter he felt in his chest, but maybe he was just a sucker for big doe-eyes. He was also surprised she seemed to care so much, but he supposed that's what happens when you're saved from a mother and step-father that should be reincarnated as slugs and then slowly introduced to salt. A smile crossed the Decimo's face as he attributed her soft boldness to the compassion his mother showed her, though some part of it was probably his doing, and he decided he felt pretty fond of the quiet girl. He couldn't see her fighting anyone, though the same could be said of Kyoko months ago, but despite his reservations he knew that knowing how to defend and protect is a priceless skill. Sweet and soft though she seemed, Tsuna had a feeling backed by the warm hum of his Intuition, that it was only right to let Chrome learn how to control her Mist. Maybe even learn how to fight if she really wanted. He could easily imagine her with a jō staff made of light special-steel, or maybe something more offensive.

"Chrome, you don't have to touch a weapon," Tsuna said, leaning forward and holding her eyes steadily with his Sky-orange ones. "But I know the world will never be a safe place, and that I can't protect everyone from everything... so how do you feel about learning from my mother? If you want to learn physical fighting I can talk to a friend of mine too."

A thought crossed Tsuna's mind and he sighed. "Once you learn everything you can from my mom, I... I sort of know someone else you can learn Mist techniques from, but he's... not the greatest when it comes to women so I'd rather not..."

Chrome blinked and a soft flare of cool Mist later Mukuro was sitting there and smiling a cat-got-the-cream smile. When did Mukuro even leave Piero? Tsuna usually noticed. Sneaky bugger.

"I believe I can help, Tsunaysoshi- _kun_ , and all it would cost you is a little..."

 **o o o**

The ideas that Tsuna planned to hand over to his smartest group members was put on a back-burner. He was only a child after all, and even with allies he couldn't expect to be taken seriously at this age. Tsuna decided to bide his time, continue growing stronger, and make sure he had the power to go through with his desire to put away people like the Estraneo.

On that note it was a month and two weeks before anything of interest happened. Chrome worked on her Mist under his mom, and twice a week he would join lessons mainly to be there and encourage her. His weighted clothes had gained ten pounds and he was working his way up to his usual speed while wearing them. Chrome was learning how to wield a jo staff from Nobu and occasionally Fon, and there seemed to be talk about teaching her a polearm. Tsuna managed to pull off three Movie Nights during that time too, and those were the highlight of his days because those that attended enjoyed the films and with them clustered in the room Tsuna could almost feel how content they were.

Tsuna was startled on a quiet afternoon which Reborn designated for "resting half the day" so the boy's body could recover from the stress of training with him, Fon and Nobu. Hibari called him. Not texted, _called him up._ Maybe it was an overreaction, but Tsuna was lucky he didn't crap bricks from the sheer shock alone. After getting instructions to gather the "babies", he was told to wait outside for a car to pick them up. They were visiting Mama Hibari. A text sent to everyone (but Hibari, who wasn't included to spare him any possible irritation) in the "Clam" group left him with just a few protests, mainly because Takeshi and the girls wanted to join him to see the Hibari home, and only Gokudera was worried for his health. Nothing bad would happen, he was sure of it because he was going into Hibari's. Besides, he had two Arcobaleno backing him up.

 **. . .**

Fortunately this wasn't a case of "And the apocalypse hit Namimori", as Tsuna and the two babies safely arrived at the Hibari estate in an expensive car driven by one of the Disciplinary Committee. Sitting in Tsuna's hair was the richly blue colored mini-monkey bot named Aota.

Tall fences of thick metal stretched on and on and out of sight from where Tsuna stood with his two trainers. The top of the fence had needle sharp spikes and was wrapped in delicate wire that Fon casually stated to be sharp and durable enough to slice through kevlar and weaker steels. Reborn was suitably impressed and Tsuna resisted a shiver as he stood at the regal door of the fence that was decorated with a magnolia blossom held by a lark, the Hibari family crest. When a little yellow bird flew through the fence and landed in Tsuna's hair with a cheerful chirp, the Decimo knew his Cloud was on his way or, at least, sending Kusakabe to fetch them. He was proven right when the tall Right Hand of the Disciplinary Committee head arrived and bowed them through the silently opened massive doors of the protective fence. They walked up a graveled drive way with Kusakabe quietly telling them that Mitsuko-hime was excited to meet them and had ordered a small feast complete with desert. With a slight smile the older teen told Tsuna to relax and enjoy himself while he could.

How very reassuring.

As for the grand house, from the ground it looked two stories tall with distinct taste of old-school Japanese architecture fit for nobles in the slanted roof. Painted a dark violet with nearly black slate shingles and shutters for the windows. There was a large porch spanning the entirety of the very wide house-front and on there, in the middle of a half-circle of squishy looking couches and chairs was a portable, expensive and large firepit. The set up looked like it would be criminally comfortable in the winter or fall. Tsuna found himself a teensy bit jealous and half-seriously wondered if the Hibari Matriarch would invite his family over during the coming fall season. Kusakabe patiently allowed a few seconds for gawking at the porch furniture before he ushered everyone through the door where Hibari stood, leaning against the wall with a frown.

The yellow bird Haru had taken to calling Hibird flew out of his hair and landed in Hibari's and, without a word of greeting, only a nod in Tsuna's direction with eye contact held, they were following the quiet Cloud through the front hall and into a side room. Tsuna had only a few seconds to admire the paintings of nature hanging on lavender colored walls, the brief glimpse he had of a warmly colored kitchen, and then he was standing in a handsome living room painted a rich Prussian blue with cream colored curtains on the wide, airy windows. The furniture was cream colored too, but the carpet was thick and patterned like checkerboard of black and maroon, so apparently Mitsuko had unique taste. In a corner sheltered from the windows stood a fairly long table set for six. A fireplace had a mantle covered in knick-knacks and small photos he couldn't quite see well from his distance, and the room was filled with photo's of nature from high, high up, and there were only a few large ones depicting a child-Hibari dressed in a black martial artists gi and pitted against his mother and there was only one showing an adult Fon tutoring an adorably tiny, chubby-cheeked prefect.

Maybe Hibari's animosity to Fon stemmed from some sort of abandonment? That's a question best left alone for health reasons.

Someone cleared their throat and Tsuna felt his cheeks burn as he turned to a gorgeous woman standing to his far left, leaning against the wall. She had probably been observing him and his expression. Likely saw him smile at the photo's of her son, and that made Tsuna want to sink into the ground. Mitsuko was tall, taller than her own son, who she resembled greatly, from her black hair to her slanted grey eyes, but there was an open warmth on her face that Hibari lacked. She was dressed modestly in a large shirt and jeans which went against what Tsuna had been thinking she would dress like, and her hair was up in a messy bun that let tendrils of hair frame her face and accent her natural beauty.

With his attention on her she approached and had an amused expression when he tensed and straightened up. She stood within arms reach, looking him over, and then she tisked and reached out to tap his chest gently.

"What happened to the present I sent you, little one?"

Oh! Tsuna had come over with his usual black and silver lumbar back, and he shifted it so he could easily reach into a pocket and pull out the gorgeous locket-brooch. It had a bright shine to it and there was a glitter of bright Flames deep in the purple stone because it absorbed Tsuna's hybrid Flames when he tried to see if it would do as the letter said. He had felt the absorbed power then multiply several times before settling in and laying dormant.

"I'm sorry I don't wear it a lot... I guess I'll have to get comfortable wearing jewelery soon," Tsuna said as he fastened the brooch to his shirt.

Reborn yanked on his ear in reprimand. "Some of the strongest weapons you get will involve _jewelery_ , so if you don't "get used to it" I'll be upping your weekly training."

Tsuna nodded and withheld his desire to say, "Don't you mean weekly beat downs?" since that was essentially what he went through under his three tutors.

Mitsuko clapped her hands and directed Tsuna to the long mahogany table. Once he was seated with Hibari at his side and the two Arcobaleno on his shoulders, Mitsuko sat down and gazed at Tsuna with suddenly icy, critical eyes. Now she looked like a female Hibari _clone_. With a slight flinch and a gritting of his teeth, Tsuna sat straighter and held her eyes as best he could. A minute later her imperious, cold look disappeared and a warm smile replaced it. She turned to her son and nodded with a soft, "I approve, Mozu-kun" before she finally looked to the Arcobaleno.

"Reborn-san, it is a pleasure to finally meet you."

The hitman tipped his hat to her with a softly said, _["And you, madam."]_

Her eyes turned to Fon and she sighed slightly before smiling. "Good to see you again, cousin. Do try visiting after this. I forgive you for leaving us in shame of your curse."

Tsuna carefully did not react to what he was hearing and instead he traced the delicate whorls in the table with his eyes.

Fon nodded with a faintly embarrassed look. "Emotions were... unstable for a number of years after the incident. I'm deeply sorry."

Mitsuko nodded and looked at the large and ornate clock above the fireplace, then she pulled out her phone and sent a text. Several Disciplinary Committee members soon arrived with platters of food covered in silver domes like something out of a cartoon and the table was covered in brunch-type dishes from both Japan and Italy, alongside metal jugs holding tea and coffee, going by the smells, and other platters held several desserts. The soft cannoli looked divine.

"We should have a guest arriving soon. Please, have a snack."

Tsuna waited until Fon had off to take a dango stick to grab two cannoli for himself. It was quiet in the room and as he took his time nibbling through the pastry's Tsuna was half way to smacking his head off a wall in order to come up with anything to say, so he stayed quiet and took comfort in Hibari's presence beside him. Mitsuko soon started talking to Reborn about his training techniques involving Tsuna and this lead to a discussion that the Decimo noticed interested Hibari as the prefect occasionally glanced at his mother and the hitman.

 _["It sounds like all has been well, but what do you say?"]_

Tsuna almost snorted, caught between amusement and exasperation as the two continued to discuss him like he wasn't there. Plus, they were doing it in Italian and judging by the calm expression on his Cloud's face he was also fluent in the language.

 _["When I arrived he was already well-trained in physical defence by a semi-retired yakuza member. The only training I have had to do is build on what he already has and nudge him in directions where he tends to work toward improving himself on his own power."]_

 _["Sounds like he's a good student. You're lucky. My Mozu-kun used to be so stubborn... anyway, should I take it that Nobu-chan is the one that trained him?"]_

Tsuna's eye twitched as he briefly halted in lifting a zeppole to his mouth, then slowly nibbled as he gave up. There shouldn't be that much surprise in shocking things happening to him or being talked about nearby, not anymore. From the Flames of the Sky, adopted gravity-defying sons, him being the heir to a mafia and training under not-babies, meeting a genius teenager who makes intelligent robotic monkeys, and Kyoko pulling a Sakura... Yeah. Tsuna resolved to start taking things as they come and be more calm about bizarre things and coincidences.

 _["Yes. He imparted the Shadow Step Technique and probably several others, but I'm interested in seeing where they pop up in battle. It should be amusing."]_

Tsuna rolled his eyes and took another three zeppole's while Fon, sitting close beside him, seemed amused as he snacked. The Storm Arcobaleno jumped to his shoulder and patted his cheek.

"Nervous?"

"More than a bit," the Decimo admitted in a soft undertone.

Beside him Hibari made a soft huffing sound and he elbowed the Decimo with a sharp look: _Don't be stupid_. Tsuna kept his amusement inside as he nodded and took this as the prefect's way of calming him down.

"Little Sky."

"Y-yes?"

"Tell me about your _Famiglia_ , please. I would love to hear what you think of them."

As Tsuna pondered how to go about describing his friends as she asked, he sighed and decided to just go for it. That would save him a migraine.

"Well... there's Kyoko-chan and Hana-chan, they're amazing and they've they've trained in martial arts and firearms in secret. Imagine my surprise," he said with a crooked smile as he held Mitsuko's gaze steadily. "There's Takeshi, who used to be all about baseball until he realized I was a trouble magnet, and while he still loves the game..." Tsuna's lips thinned and he pushed away his guilt. "He gave up being part of Namimori's team to train with his dad more, who's apparently a swordmaster... There's Ryohei, Kyoko-chan's brother, who can punch though a foot and a half of specialized steel tiles and who never gives up on anything... Gokudera-kun is a bomb expert, he has great accuracy, and he's awesome enough to make his own weapons and chemical smoke bombs."

Mitsuko leaned on the table with her chin resting on her steepled fingers. There was a smile playing at the corners of her mouth and she seemed very pleased, something that flustered the boy somewhat.

"Newer friends of mine are Aurelio Spanner, a mechanical genius who makes highly intelligent robot monkey's, is good at coming up with weapons, and he's worked with another friend to create underarmor with a friend. Irie Shuichi is that friend. He goes to his school and he's a computer genius and a better hacker than Spanner-kun, and he's been teaching another friend, Miura Haru, to hack as well, and she's learning about robotics too..." Tsuna chuckled nervously and rubbed his neck. "Honestly I'm a bit worried about the kinds of robots she'll come up with. Her imagination is really something."

Tsuna pulled out his phone and went to a folder with happy photo's he's taken of the kids. "Um... these two call me papa -"

"I-Pin as well, just so you know," Fon said, smiling in clear amusement. Tsuna blinked in surprise before smiling.

"Right! Um... that's Lambo-kun, he's kind of a walking terror-disaster, but he's becoming better, and the girl dragging him by his tail is I-Pin-chan. She's Fon-sensei's protege. This is Fuuta-kun, he's like a minature gentleman and he's a great learner, and he's... learning how to fight from your son."

Tsuna looked at Hibari, wondering if he should use his first name in the presence of his mother. "I was worried at first, but... I trust him. I've trusted H-Hibari-sempai for years now." A smile lit the Decimo's face. "He's a great protector of Namimori and there's no questioning that he's extremely reliable. Trouble blowing through the town stands no chance."

Hibari sipped his tea and leveled a brief, very pleased, look on his little carnivore.

Mitsuko was beaming and from the slight sounds below, she seemed to be kicking her feet back and forth. "Wonderful! I'm happy you think so highly of my Mozu-kun! The both of you make a good pair, and seeings as I've watched several recordings of your most recent fights, little Sky, I don't feel the need to test you myself. You are strong and you have great potential."

The woman popped to her feet and pulled out her phone, and just like that her good cheer went away and she looked angry enough to breathe fire.

"It seems my sister is not coming. There's an emergency she needs to attend to..." Mitsuko turned to Tsuna and bowed her head for a moment. "My apologies, Decimo. Kiku is the boss of the Irukaza, and she was meant to meet with you today and arrange an alliance with your fledgling group, but... there's a little war on the borders of her territory."

"Oh... will she and her people be okay?"

Mitsuko's bad mood lifted and she chuckled softly. "No, no, but the sentiment is appreciated. Kiku-chan is very strong and she's more than capable of protecting her subordinates. Now, would you tell me what you think about the brooch, Decimo?"

"It's amazing. Was it your... battery, kinda?"

"Oh, yes, it's saved me a number of times. My son is much too proud to accept such a gift, but as the boss, the one that needs to be the spine of the new Vongola, you should have no such reservations. What advantages you gain and do not go against your morals, you should not hesitate to use as ruthlessly as you are comfortable with."

Tsuna nodded and smiled. "Thank you for the gift. I'll start wearing it everyday."

 **. . .**

 _"I believe I can help, Tsunaysoshi-kun, and all it would cost you is a little..." The boy leaned closer to Tsuna and raised his chin with one finger. "Kiss on the lips. It won't be your first, so why not?"_

 _Tsuna jerked back and nearly fell off his chair. "Why the_ _hell_ _would you want to kiss me? And the answer is hell no!"_

 _"My reason is curiosity. I want to know why your people care for you so much." There was a smirk on the older male's face, both extremely amused and candid, just like the whispers of feelings brushing across their odd Guardian bond. "I'm not one for human emotions, you see, but perhaps some physical experiments will teach me."_

 _"You ignoring my no won't change my answer."_

 _Mukuro chuckled. "Very well. Tell them how you feel. Doesn't matter who, I'll know if you lie to me."_

 _Tsuna was shaking and his ears were red. "If you weren't in Chrome I'd punch your lights out."_

 _"Kufufufu~! I know. Is this a yes or will you have to subject sweet little Chrome to the one that put such a disgusted look on your face?"_

 _Tsuna grimaced and stood to stare down at the illusionist. Seconds later he sighed heavily and walked around the table to shuffle closer, eyeing Mukuro like a cornered mouse. Once he stood there in front of the seated male he leaned down and a look of triumph crossed Mukuro's face right before Tsuna wrapped him in a warm, tight hug. Then the Decimo left the kitchen only to poke his head back in with a pointed glare._

 _"If you don't follow through on our deal... I'll find some way to get back at you."_

 _Then he left. Laughter filled the kitchen, a sound somewhere between genuine, warm amusement and something a little bitter._

"...Are you okay? _Xuéshēng_?"

Tsuna jumped and turned his head to see a concerned Fon looking at him from his seat on the table.

"Uh, y-yeah! I... I just need to talk to Hibari-sempai for a moment. In p-private." Tsuna turned to Hibari and looked up at him, half hopeful he would and wanting him to say no. "That is, if you d-don't mind a word in private."

From the corner of his eye Tsuna saw how Mitsuko suddenly sparkled and he managed to not wilt. What on earth was she even thinking? Wait, it's better not to know.

"Hn."

Hibari left the large room and headed down a hall that soon ended at smoky glass shoji doors he opened to reveal a gorgeous backyard. Feeling like a patch of thin forest, there was a large and natural looking pond ringed sparsely with cattails and filled with pearly white and pink lotus blossoms that perfumed the air. Grass, long and uniformly cut, swayed in the gentle breeze, and every cluster of shrubs dotting the area either held berries or were in bloom. Tsuna stared at the shiny berries and wondered if the two Hibari's planted these to lure animals in just to watch them. Actually, that sounds about right.

"Anaguma."

Tsuna turned and Hibari pressed a single fruit the size of a big blueberry against his lips. The Decimo blinked, quickly more amused (and happy) at the gesture than startled, and he opened his mouth to accept. The taste was satisfyingly sweet and tangy with a slightly bitter edge like with blackberries. After swallowing the fruit he smiled happily up at his Cloud.

"That was delicious, thank you."

There was very nearly soft look in Hibari's eyes as he made his customary I-acknowledge-that-you-said-something "Hn" before walking toward a particularly large berry filled shrub and sitting down. One pointed stare later Tsuna was sitting beside him and fiddling nervously with the brooch. Knowing Hibari marginally well he had the feeling there wasn't too long of a time before the prefect became impatient.

Steeling his nerves and telling himself to expect rejection, just in case, Tsuna resisted drawing on his Flames as a crutch in that moment because he was with someone he trusted. He then looked up and held Hibari's eyes.

 _["I... I like you. In more than a friendly way."]_

Never did Tsuna think he would ever see Hibari's eyes widen so much. For him that face might as well be called "bug-eyed". A moment later that look was gone and there was a startling glare in its place. Before Tsuna could so much as twitch away he found himself pinned to the grass and his wrists tightly gripped.

"You gave into a threat."

Tsuna grimaced. "No, I gave into a deal to help with Chrome's training. But... I..." The Decimo bit his cheek hard and looked away, cheeks flushed with shame. "The worst part is that... you're not the only one I... really, really like."

The bordering-painful holds on his wrists loosened and he looked up to see a very deadpan expression on the Cloud user.

"That isn't revolutionary news, Anaguma."

"Heh?"

Now Tsuna felt lost.

The bordering-painful holds on his wrists released and he looked up to see a very deadpan expression on the Cloud user. That look faded and a certain glint entered those slate-colored eyes and Tsuna swallowed as he realized that it meant Hibari felt _playful_ (and there just had to be a better word for that, he was sure). Hibari wrapped his larger hand around Tsuna's and lifted it to his mouth, and whatever the younger expected, he wasn't ready for the warm lips pressing to his inner wrist. Stunned, Tsuna's flushed face grew redder and he debated on how to return the physical affection (Kiss on the cheek? Copy him? Hug him? How!?). Hibari released a brief chuckle and let his lips skim up until they pressed to Tsuna's sensitive palm and the boy gasped with a visible shiver.

Hibari, looking ever-so-slightly pleased, drew back and resumed sitting beside him. "The Sasegawa girl described your Vongola aptly. You have a Pride, not a pack, and alpha lions have more than one mate."

It took Tsuna ten seconds to fully digest what Hibari said and he turned on his side to pillow his head on his upper arm and face the prefect.

"Does that mean... you don't m-mind that you're... not the only one I'm, um, a-attracted to?"

"I will not cage you. But that does not mean I won't snatch you away whenever I feel like it."

Tsuna chuckled as he relaxed knowing Hibari did not feel betrayed. As for the "snatching away" bit, he wouldn't be surprised (or not a whole lot at least) whenever it happens. He wriggled a bit closer and curled himself on the thick, soft grass. A minute passed before the prefect moved and laid down beside the slender Sky with half a foot of space between them. It remained like this, the two of them enjoying the peace and quiet in each others presence.

Half an hour later Mitsuko came out to fetch them. At the door of her home she hugged Tsuna, half scaring him with the sudden affection, and she thanked him for being her son's Harmony.

 **o o o**

After that early evening meeting with the Hibari Matriarch Tsuna thought carefully over how he could use the brooch. In the morning, as he meditated with Sky in one hand and Lightning in his other, he watched Chrome sitting with his mother in the shade of the large oak. His madre was letting Chrome read a palm-sized notebook full of Shamal's thoughts on Mist, exercise plans, and other possible ways to use Mist. Tsuna himself had had the opportunity to flip through the book and he was grudgingly impressed with the pervert.

They were his sudden inspiration.

He absorbed the hybrid Flames from his brooch, which happened to feel like a tingly adrenaline rush that lasted a minute, and used the ring Spanner made him to create his own Mist-Resonance Sky to store inside. Immediately there was a brush of softly warm Cloud greeting his manufactured Mist and began multiplying it. His meditation turned toward keeping a steady flow of Flames going for the next hour and at the end of it he was sweating and satisfied. The brooch's stone glowed brightly with a light indigo for a minute before fading.

"What are you planning?"

"HIIIE!" Tsuna threw himself to the side and glowered at a smirking Reborn. "I hate how you can still do that."

Infuriatingly the little hitman tipped his hat to him and continued to smirk.

"If my idea works then I can use the Mist inside the brooch to... shape my Sky or Lightning in attacks..."

"Hm. It may work, but the problem is whether you're quick to draw out the necessary Flames from the stone. You'll need more training."

Tsuna groaned an flopped back.

"Would you rather me leave you behind?"

The Decimo lurched up, bug-eyed. "No! Why would you even think that?!"

"Heh. I'm just reminding you this is all out of the goodness of my little black heart. I'm not being paid by the Vongola to train you, idiot."

Tsuna slumped in surprise. "It's kind of hard to remember. You seem as likely to do charity as the moon turning neon green."

Reborn hopped onto his student's head and tapped his skull with a shiny shoe. "It's not charity. Now enough talk, go try your idea."

With a slight tremble of nerves, Tsuna put his right hand to the brooch over his heart and withdrew a dense ball of glittering Mist flecked with orange. Next he formed a ball of Sky-Lightning and used them to construct a thick wall of granite with a small target etched into it, and with a light kick he could tell the constuct felt and sounded quite real. With his X27-Gloves activated he gave his brooch a quick tap with his left fingers he coated that hand thickly in Mist and put both limbs together, then pulled them apart to reveal a short but heavy looking amber spear of bamboo two inches thick. This he threw.

The point landed in the middle of the target and exploded like a clap of thunder, ripping startled screams from his mother, Chrome and the children inside the house. Tsuna himself had jumped back and meeped at the noise. He watched his reinforced illusion crumble to rock before dissolving into wisps.

"Uh..."

"Not quiet enough... but you aren't a hitman, that's my job." Reborn, still on the boy's head, lightly tugged on a lock of hair. "Work on doing that while alternating isolated Sky, Lightning, and Rain."

"R-right. Getting right on that."

With that the hitman headed inside, likely to plot some future torture.

"TSU-KUN!"

Tsuna bit his lip and turned to find his mother rushing over with Chrome following a few paces behind. Both looked far more surprised than angry so he hoped for the best and stayed put.

"Tsuna-san, what did you do?" Chrome said, voice soft and almost unheard in the ringing Tsuna could hear.

"Tsu-kun, did you do something good?" Madre had pulled his arms up to inspect them, and seeing nothing amiss she gave him a hug and stepped back. "Reborn-kun looked happy! I'm so proud of you! What did you do?"

Tsuna sucked in his lips and weighed his options, then shrugged. He drew out Mist, summoned a bit of Sky, and created a tiny sphere which he then tossed ten feet above. It exploded with a soft boom and resembled a halo backdropped by the darkly clouded sky. Inwardly he sighed in relief that he had succeeded in keeping the explosion small.

Chrome had her hands covering her mouth before she pulled them away and congratulated him with warm eyes and a shy smile. Nana spun him around in a hug and declared it to be an oden night with cream puffs for dessert. He was to call everyone over, especially the other girls. They loved her creampuffs to bits. When she hurried off with a bounce in her step Chrome was left there and playing with her fingers.

"Th-that was impressive Tsuna-san. I w-wish you luck in your training."

She pretty much ran inside with a dark pink blush on her face. When Tsuna turned around he felt a certain cat brush up against his leg. He picked "Piero" up, let the feline drape over his shoulder lazily, and withheld a sigh.

"I told Hibari. I... I'll get around to the others when the time is right."

Mukuro-cat nosed his cheek and snorted.

"How do you even make that sound sarcastic..."

 **. . .**

Later that night, after an impromptu party, Tsuna found he couldn't sleep. There was something tugging at his Intuition, hot and cold, and he felt the itch to go outside and find the cause. But this wasn't the sort of tug that drew him to Takeshi or Chrome, or even Piero, it was like a gentle tap in the shoulder as if to say "Heads up, there's a little storm heading this way, keep on your toes!"

Tsuna pulled out his phone and weighed his decision to tell everyone to be careful right then, but it was two in the morning and he knew how Hana and Hibari could be when woken too early, and they always kept their messages on. Technically he wasn't feeling a life-or-death chill, so... yes, he put his phone on his side table and curled up on his side. At the very least if he wasn't going to sleep he could go into a deep meditation and relax.

He hoped the trouble wouldn't be anything like that thing with Mukuro.

* * *

 **OMAKE**

 _ **Spanner and the Mysterious Failed Attacks [Thanks to "Littlest1"**]**_

Sarumane two "sisters" now:

Saruken had a humanoid shape and was made to have a thick body for extra strength and endurance; she stood at five feet tall and was colored blue and grey to mildly resemble a power ranger. She utilized Rain Flames like Hana, who, along with Takeshi, generously donated Flames to be used in the specialized system which cycled Rain through Cloud and Sky in an ametrine, so essentially the Rain, like the Lightning Saruken runs on, lasts for weeks through hard-testing.

Then there's Sarubūto. This one, to be described properly at a later time, was designed to be a battle-bot far stronger than Saryuki ever was, and stronger than Saruken. What _can_ be said, however, is that within Sarubūto's programming is loyalty to Tsuna and others, as well as thirty martial arts skills and techniques from around the world, courtesy of Nobu and Fon sparring with Tsuna, as well as the internet. Combined with Sarubūto's learning-AI, the bot was quick to improve and develop a tendency to improvise and go for some surprising moves.

Maybe letting Sarubūto watch One Piece and Naruto wasn't the best idea...

Spanner had been talking with Reborn and this usually ended with the young genius walking away with more inspiration for his robotics creations. He learned that Sky's have six or more Guardians, and that he is one with his active Lightning. Since Spanner was no fighter and had no intention of becoming one, it was suggested that he make something to fight for him, Tsuna, and the group. Thus, Sarubūto was created.

 _Days before a certain character's noisy appearance..._

One of Spanner's personal protection inventions was a little key-chain like contraption that stored Sky-Lightning Flames and utilized them in a localized EMP attack that would fry electronics not keyed to his and Tsuna's energy signatures. This was further developed and added to his monkey-bots arsenals.

A series six of child sized robots attacked him while he was testing Saruken and Sarubūto against each other three miles into the mountains. He barely threw himself out of the way and that was thanks to Sarumane screeching a warning the tugging on his shirt.

The little bots were green and deceptively simple looking. They gave his two main combat-bots a good workout before Sarubūto grew irritated, judging by the violent twitching of its hands, and released a strong EMP wave that reached the intended thirty yards and downed the smaller bots. Spanner inspected them and found the same vaguely Egyptian crocodile symbol on the inside panel of the the chest that the mechanic had found on the men that attempted to kidnap him on a number of occasions.

Fortunately Sarumane had been equipped with powerful tasers in all paws and her tail, as well as the fangs she could bite with. She, a small martial artist in her own right, was good with quickly zapping them into submission, but aside from the crocodile symbol they were effectively ghosts with no ID. Not even Reborn could identify exactly who would have the croc symbol, though judging by an amused glint in his eyes whenever Spanner brought up the topic he had a good idea of who it was.

Spanner's personal weapon, a precious-steel umbrella, was perfectly capable of reflecting (so far) all attacks and had a specified ability just in case he's caught in a storm.

The young genius took all bots home with him after having Sarubūto perform a smaller and stronger EMP pulse just-in-case of surviving tracking tech, since the Double Tap is always a good idea in tricky situations, regardless of zombies being the target*.

Later that night as Spanner is eating a bento between taking apart the robots, he felt an odd shiver crawl down his back and wonders if the one wanting his head has finally given up and decided to come after him. Should he tell Tsuna?

... Maybe. Spanner didn't feel like stressing out the fluffy boy when he's capable of protecting himself and is being protected by Saruken and Sarubūto.

* * *

 **CAN IT BE? ARE THE RING BATTLES ON THEIR WAY? Yes, yes they are.**

 **SO, how did people find Mitsuko? I hope I did her justice. She's very much her own person, and somewhat childish and exciteable. I also imagine her as like... Polarized? She's not a normal Cloud, or Classic like Hibari being distant and cold and preferring alone time in the manga (and in this, just less cold maybe). She's like... the clouds in the sky that gather close and bunch together. I may have messed up that description, but look at Fon. He's a calm and collected Storm that is normally unruffled.**

 **** Right as I finish this sentence an AMV with Highschool of the Dead clips comes on. xD**

 **** Littlest1 has been awesome about pointing out things I'm too absent-minded to think about. Rather, I get caught up in imagining what happens in the later part of the series in relation to what I'm writing, and I forget little things. Like Verde being perfectly willing to hunt down someone who has stolen some technology of his. Thus, this is born and Verde will make an appearance (though... you may have to pardon OOC-ness).**

 **Critique, pointing out of mistakes (like possible plot holes that _may_ just be something to do with the AU), or plain telling me how much you liked this (or disliked for a named reason), or some scenes, are EXTREMEly welcomed. :D**


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

**Can I just say I** _ **hate fighting scenes (when ***_ _ **I** *****_ _ **have to write them)?**_ **They fun as heck in my head but putting words to actions in a comprehensible way is... ugh. The Ring Battles are going to give me a migraine if the fight with Mr. Loudspeaker and Tuna is any indication...**

 **REVIEWS: When I answer them I might be answering some again without meaning to, so bear with me? It's been a rough week. My diabetic grandma got herself in the hospital via failed kidneys. She developed delirium (like dementia sort of, forgetting things, places, reverting to earlier memories), wouldn't eat at first, and I was terrified and trying not to cry and be miserable. I have read that suppressing emotions is very unhealthy and leads to health problems (like high blood pressure, aggravated asthma (which explains why I was coughing and wheezing more this week) and, wouldn't you know it, diabetes. So yes, not a fun week. Watching vines that showed plucky grandmas being funny for their grandkids had me crying and diving for funny animal videos and Markiplier bloopers.**

 **NOTE: I'm so frazzled I thought I misplaced the omake with Verde-not-yet-there and Spanner. I was pretty much crying. It's not even that cursed time of the month. x.X**

* * *

 _ **"There is no limit to the power of loving." ~ John Morton.**_

The next morning Tsuna was woken up in a new and mildly terrifying way. He opened his eyes, still half asleep and curious about the warm arms around him, and saw Mukuro's sleeping face right next to his.

"HIIIEEEEE!" Tsuna threw himself out of bed and went rolling across the floor.

"Kufufufu." Mukuro sat up and stretched his arms up lazily, exposing his stomach muscles. When he caught sight of Tsuna's scowl he went on chuckling for several seconds. "That face is worth the ringing in my ears, Tsunayoshi-kun."

Tsuna stood, stomped over, and grabbed the tall Mist's arm in a gentle grip before hauling him out his bedroom and slamming the door.

"Ah, Tsunayoshi-kun, I had a reason for this little visit."

The Sky had his sleep-shirt stripped off and one hand holding the top of his school uniform as he waved the middle finger at the door. It was private venting. "What is it?"

"Chikusa and Ken are in Kokuyo Land. They look a bit starved."

"... You could just say 'I demand you go feed my minions, please'. It's not that hard."

"Kufufu. You seem to be on point, little Vongola."

"Mm-hm, I'll ferry food their way later*. It'll be home-cooked from my madre and they'll eat well at least."

"Very well. By the way, earlier on there was a blond creature here and he wore a hard hat. The baby hitman kicked him out before your mother woke up."

Tsuna froze before hanging his head with a groan. "And I missed that. Fuck."

"Kufufu. I could recreate it... for a little kiss."

Tsuna pinched his brow and threw his arms in the air before leaving his room, fully dressed, and scowling up at Mukuro with a darkly blushing face. Then he grabbed the Mist by his shirt and yanked him down to lay a soft kiss on his cheek. Mukuro looked a bit shocked, which probably amounted to gobsmacked, and he stared at Tsuna for a long moment before a slight smirk crossed his face. He pulled the shorter male snuggly into his side, lifted his hand, and suddenly the area directly outside Tsuna's room was the kitchen and he could see and experience what happened.

Reborn had been sitting on the dining table with a mug of coffee in hand. Looking around Tsuna could see from the window above the sink that the sky was brightening from night into a lovely lighter blue as the sun rose. The main door clicked as a key unlocked it and Reborn put his coffee to the side and hopped down to approach the entry hall. Mukuro, presumably a spirit at the time, followed and stood to the side as everything began to unfold:

Iemitsu, the "blond creature", opened the door and froze. Reborn tilted his fedora up and held the man's stare for an uncomfortably long eight seconds. Then the baby talked.

 _"Just how stupid are you?"_

 _"What?"_ Iemitsu relaxed enough to step inside and shut himself in. _"What brought this on?"_

 _"The file you gave me on Tsuna was borderline useless, just like the man I'm looking at. Did you even know he was molested when he was ten?"_

Tsuna felt himself pale and clutch at Mukuro. The older boy tightened his arm around him.

 _"Nana saved him before the worst happened, but not before he was hurt._ _ **Now.**_ _ **Did. You. Know?**_ _"_

Iemitsu slumped against the door and there seemed to be tears welling up in his eyes. _"No... I-I didn't. I never heard anything."_

 _"Nothing at all? Are you certain?"_

 _"Th...there was a time when one of my secretaries tried to get a hold of me. I never got around to reading the note she left. Probably disappeared during spring cleaning..."_

Reborn's hand twitched like he either wanted to strangle the man or shoot him.

 _"I expected a boy as needy as Dino and I found more than I bargained for in different ways. I needed Tsuna's trust to work with him optimally. Now that I have it I feel inclined to do more than beat you into the ground for having his Flames sealed when someone should have taken him in and trained him."_

Iemitsu scrubbed at his face before the tears fell. _"I wasn't thinking well at the time. All I felt... all I felt was Dissonance and... damn it, part of me wanted to hurt him. As for Timoteo, I can't be sure."_

 _"Hm."_ Reborn stroked Leon for a moment before voicing further thoughts. _"You tested him for the seat of the Vongola by kidnapping his friends. Normally I would see nothing wrong with that, but I'm afraid Nana and her son have affected me a bit more than I initially thought anyone could, and now I see your little test as imbecilic. You alienated him and I can only assume that any knowledge of this will feed his hatred for the Nono's Vongola and general mafia."_

Iemitsu was white and there was a miniscule shaking in his clenched fists. _"I see. That shouldn't be surprising. Is... there anything else you want to say?"_

 _"Do me a favor and grin."_

 _"..."_

 _"Just do it."_

Tsuna watched his father pull on (with disturbing ease) one of those stupid grins the boy had come to just about hate, and Reborn came at him like a little bullet to kick him in the face. The man was sent flying straight through the front door and clear over the road to completely wreck someone's lovely flower bed like a meteor.

Reborn was quiet for a moment. _"Did you get all that, Mukuro?"_

The illusion faded out and leaving with it went the gentle spring warmth of Chrome's Mukuro influenced Flames. Tsuna stayed like that, clutching at Mukuro and struggling to keep down his anger and sense of betrayal as hot Intuition assured him that, yes, everything in that illusion had been real. What he had suspected and done his level best to ignore had just been shoved in his face. Iemitsu was part of the mafia, probably worked _for_ Timoteo or was some sort of partner, and the young Sky felt torn between a potentially destructive rage and the desire to hide in a quiet place where no one would find him and he could scream obscenities or cry in peace.

A soft pressure of Mist made Tsuna open eyes he hadn't realized he'd closed, and he blinked at the sight of Chrome looking at him tearfully. Right as his mind caught up with what he saw, that she must know exactly what went on in Mukuro's memory, she wrapped him in a tight hug and guided his head to her shoulder.

"I-it's okay to cry, Tsuna-san... Mukuro-san won't see, I promise."

Chrome's Mist increased and the Sky was hit with the distinct feeling of irritation from Mukuro as he being pushed out of the house. Tsuna's eyes pricked and he shivered before nodding toward his bedroom. Chrome gained a determined expression and followed him through the doorway. It was an awkward moment before Tsuna shut the door and slumped against it, only to slide down and bury his face in his hands and concentrate on slow, shaky breathing. _No screaming in the house, that disturbs everyone's peace._ Chrome, in a slightly clumsy way that spoke of her being unaccustomed to giving comfort, settled on her knees and wrapped him in a softer hug before she started petting his hair. While holding him she created an illusion. They were soon in a forested area and the chirping of birds could be heard. It felt perfectly isolated and Tsuna gave in to the less destructive vent of his ugly emotions, minus any screaming. It was half an hour later that his tears stopped and he felt a bit better. He and Chrome had shifted positions during that time until she was holding him to her chest and he had his arms around her waist.

It was a comfortable position but Tsuna, leaving the slight fugue he'd entered when he gave in and cried, felt embarrassed and had a blush on his face as he drew back and wiped at his eyes. Chrome pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to him with a shy smile.

"I hope I helped Tsuna-san... I'm n-not good at helping p-people like this."

Tsuna took a deep breath and noticed that her illusion even smelled like a forest. "You did. Thank you, Chrome-san. I felt close to doing something bad... so, really, thank you."

Chrome tugged at the sleeve of her shirt and smiled. "I'm glad. M-maybe you should go out and have fun after school today. S-see a movie maybe. Or... or go to that bakery you like."

"She's right. You're not in any state of mind for me to train."

Chrome and Tsuna jumped and looked up to see Reborn sitting in a "bush" within the illusion. With a wave of her hand Chrome dispelled it and Tsuna could see that his tutor was comfortably perched on his pillow.

"Right. Thanks, Reborn." Tsuna smiled, just a bit weak, and stood along with Chrome. "I'll train extra hard tomorrow, I promise."

"I know you will. Now don't come home after school or it's the Leon Jig for you." With that said the infant dropped a small smoke bomb and disappeared.

"Reborn-san is..."

"Calling him unique is putting it very, very mildly."

Chrome smiled before her face turned somber. She grabbed his hand and held his eyes steadily. "I d-didn't hear or see anything, Tsuna-san. I hope you s-smile a lot today."

After giving his hand a gentle squeeze Chrome went to the children's rooms to wake them up and get them ready for the day, leaving Tsuna softly smiling in his empty bedroom.

Two minutes later he met up with his male Rain and his bomber. Three minutes of listening to Gokudera talk about a Sci-Fi show he really liked (something about a Doctor?) Tsuna worked up the courage to say what was on his mind.

"So my father's back, he sneaked in this morning. Reborn was kind enough to boot him out with a kick to the face."

Takeshi choked slightly on his milk before he looked at Tsuna with a sunny smile. "Oh? Reborn's awesome! How about you sleep over just in case? We could play video games or watch movies!"

Gokudera glared at Takeshi before deciding to one-up him. "Better yet, Juudaime, let's skip today. It's just preps and I can help you study later!"

Takeshi put his arm around Tsuna and fist-pumped. "He's right. Hana can help you too! What do you say?"

Tsuna smiled at their attempts to cheer him up. "How does heck yeah, sound?"

 **. . .**

For a while everything went well considering most of his _Famiglia_ came along with him to the downtown area.

Haru and Shoichi were at school, with the former absolutely determined to do her best, and Spanner was a few steps behind Tsuna. Hana also opted to attend school in order to properly help the out-of-sorts Sky study harder later on. Ryohei was at school as well, mostly for attending his boxing club and whipping his fellow clubmates into shape for an upcoming tournament between Namimori and Kokuyo Junior High. It was presumed that Hibari was at school, and Nana was home with Bianchi and watching a romcom last he heard. Everyone else, from Fon and the kids to Lancia, were with him. Tsuna even had Aota on his shoulder.

With Fuuta holding his hand and Lambo sitting on his free shoulder doing his best to be good for candy, Tsuna had been having a lot of fun. First he, Kyoko, Chrome, and the kids headed into the pet store to look at the kittens and puppies while Piero waited outside with Gokudera and the rest, or rather in Gokudera's arms getting a scratch behind the ear. Chrome, who had texted that Mukuro was sharing her body but was not in control, looked adorable while giggling with two puppies in her arms, and then she had to hand the pups to him and Kyoko to avoid being licked too much. Lambo somehow ended up in one of the show-cages by the pet store windows and for the life of him Tsuna could not fathom how.

Next came the arcade, a quick visit to the bookstore for manga, then the toy store. There was plenty of window shopping, but the kids each had a single stuffed animal to enjoy. Fuuta chose a bird of prey called a kestrel, while I-Pin chose a dragon and Lambo picked out a cow that mooed.

By lunch time everyone headed to a cafe near the mall with outside seating. They each had drinks and food and it was pleasantly calm. Tsuna had a table with Takeshi, Gokudera on one side, and Chrome and Kyoko were on his, with the Mist sitting at his left and talking to everyone when she had something to say. Lancia was seated at a table with the children and Fon. Spanner had a table with Reborn and was showing the Sun Arcobaleno things on his palmtop computer. From the looks of the hitman he was pleased with Spanner's show and tell.

For a moment a smiling Tsuna thought the day would go on quietly and he could deal with Iemitsu's presence without prior stress, but that was not meant to be.

An overhang to their far left exploded, causing everyone to stand up and ready for attack*. When the body came flying at him Tsuna had been prepared to catch the person, but Chrome pulled him away and Kyoko did it herself. She only staggered back a step before helping the stranger, a boy roughly Tsuna's height, stand upright.

"M-milady, thank you for your help," he said, and that's when it became obvious.

He had a Hyper Dying Will Flame of Rain.

"Tsuna-san, I'll help with the kids," said Chrome, squeezing his arm briefly. He felt her presence move away.

Some of Tsuna's group gathered close in a loose circle, with Takeshi and Gokudera flanking him and Kyoko. Lancia and Fon had herded the kids far out of the way with Chrome carrying a struggling Lambo, and Reborn was to the far side so he could observe out of the way. He intended to intervene before anyone died. Those with Tsuna, and the HDW boy, watched their enemy closely.

"VOOOI! What's this? There's a bunch of interfereing lumps of trash in my way. They're about to be sliced to ribbons if they don't move."

The man standing on top of the same overhand had a sword attached to his arm. He sported the longest hair Tsuna had ever seen, also the palest when compared to Gokudera's, and he radiated the sort of danger that sent the Decimo's hair standing up. To emphasize his statement he swung his sword wildly and caused shockwaves that gouged deep slices in the brick covered ground.

Tsuna turned his head to take a quick look toward where his buzzing Intuition told him the kids were and smiled to himself when he saw them. Chrome and Fon disappeared into the fleeing civilian masses with the kids as he watched. Lancia, on the other hand, moved closer with a firm look on his face. He wouldn't be heading off with the children, partly because this attack wasn't about Fuuta, and because they had enough protection with an Arcobaleno and Chrome. She had learned more than just his mother's Mist trick with causing crippling level of fear. Tsuna turned to Kyoko and, as though in sync, she turned to look at him as well. Her honey eyes were like diamond and there was no convincing her to leave, giving the boy something else to worry about.

A habit of Tsuna's was to wear his X27-Gloves damn near always, and as such he cracked his knuckles and steadied his racing heart. He needed to keep his calm if he was going to keep his people in one piece with or without Reborn's help (who would likely watch until the last moment to check on his combat capability, ever the opportunist).

"I'm sorry, Sawada-dono, I did not mean to lead him to you*."

Tsuna glanced the boy with his Rain still flickering strongly. "I'll ask you questions later..."

"Basil."

"But for now, maybe you should get to a safer place where you can recover."

Basil frowned and shook his head. "If I'm leaving I must insist that you follow. It isn't safe for you or your friends."

Tsuna reached into his pocket and pulled out two little turquoise pills. "Fine, then, you better take these. They're kinda like senzu beans only not as all powerful."

Basil's eyes lit up briefly in recognition and he quickly downed the pills right before the silver haired Rapunzel, as Tsuna privately dubbed the swordsman, landed before him and his group.

"A little drug won't help you survive, brat." Rapunzel pointed his blade at Basil, ignoring Tsuna for the moment. "Hand over the damn box and I won't paint the ground with everyone's guts."

Taking those pills left Basil feeling a bit better immediately and that healthy sensation only grew, along with the mild numbing of his pains, as he stood beside Tsuna and the Decimo's comrades. He pulled out his blade-boomerang and stepped forward with a glare.

"I cannot."

Rapunzel let out a derisive snort and lunged forward to attack. Basil, still recovering, barely stopped the blade from spilling his insides before he was sent flying and rolling across the ground behind everyone. Kyoko touched Tsuna's arm briefly and hurried to Basil's side to begin healing him properly. She trusted everyone to take care of this, or at least last until Reborn saw fit to intervene, or...

Silver Rapunzel set his eyes on Tsuna and observed, with very mild interest, as nearly all those close and in attendance, even a kid with two robotic monkey's on him in the far back, tensed or shifted in response.

"You, fluffy, what's your relationship with the brat? If you don't talk I'll slice you to chunky bits."

Tsuna glared and tugged at his gloves. "I just met him, but I already like him. Why are you after him?"

Rapunzel sneered. "That's none of your business, bambi, now move out of my way or I'll see how far your head goes flying."

Gokudera couldn't hold himself back anymore, he threw a dozen of the more dangerous bombs he's created and forced the long haired bastard to jump back and off a wall to escape the shock-wave. When the smoke cleared Gokudera stood with Takeshi in front of Tsuna, and both sported rather dark expressions.

"Lay a hand on him and I'll see how many limbs I can blast off."

Takeshi stood in a loose stance with his sword at the ready. "I second that. Touch him and you won't like what any of us do to you."

Tsuna withheld a sigh that threatened to be fond and scared for them all at once. "Gokudera, Takeshi, please, you need to work together on this one."

Rapunzel wrinkled his nose like he smelled something awful. "Pathetic. If you go against me, you're going to die. Painfully."

"Don't! He is not a man any of you can defeat!"

With a grimace Tsuna headed to Kyoko and and Basil and stood by them. "They won't die. I have people I trust waiting and watching, and as terrible as one can be in training me, neither will let them die here."

Basil looked up at Tsuna and nodded, though clearly still worried. Kyoko's healing was speeding up his recovery quite nicely in conjunction with the soothing effects of the pills.

In the battle zone Takeshi nudged Gokudera and gave him a pointed stare, then the bomber grunted irritably and nodded. It was no time to take chances if Tsuna actually warned them to work together. First Takeshi came in for the attack, quickly blocking Rapunzel's first strike. When black pellets fell out of the man's blade the younger swordsman's first instinct was to throw himself back and out of the way, but he reacted a touch too slow and was caught in the shock-wave at a bad angle. His head cracked off the ground, knocking him unconscious. Gokudera grit his teeth in rage and vexation, and went to throw more bomb's but Rapunzel's voice spoke right behind him as his lit dynamite were sliced apart. The Storm immediately made to dodge, but he wasn't as physically conditioned as Takeshi, he was hit with a brutal kick and hit the ground hard enough for an instant KO.

Kyoko had a fierce expression on her face as she watched this. She patted Basil's shoulder, told him to stay back, and quickly went to Tsuna's side to squeeze his hand. It went unspoken that she would take them to safety and treat them as he fought the threat.

Tsuna reached into his lumbar pack and withdrew the tonfa that Spanner had been steadily remaking better and more dangerous every two or three weeks. The weapons he held took eighteen days to have crafted and it was still a golden color, only now the weapon was studded with small blue heptagon shaped stones decorating it at random along half the weapon with an inch wide stone at the tip. Tsuna tried to ignore, beyond thanking Spanner (and sending a letter to Dino along with his mother's recipe's for sweets), that the stones were actual diamonds. His X27-Gloves and the tonfa flared brightly and crackled with his angry energy, filling the immediate area with a distinct chill even as the brilliant Sky-Lightning Flames wreathed his body and scented the air with ozone.

Rapunzel, who had the sword raised above Gokudera with dark intent, paused and turned narrowed eyes on Tsuna's display of power. A Sky Flame that pure was rare, the last he saw of one was his boss.

"I don't give a fuck about what you're here for. You're in my hometown, my territory, and you won't get away with hurting anyone."

"Fluffy has some bite, I see..." The foreigner's eyes landed on his gloves and he emitted more of a killing aura as he smirked. "So you're the one I've heard about. To be in contact with the likes of you, that brat really has to talk now!"

Tsuna approached the man, weapons ready and looked at him with glowing eyes daring him to make the first move. Rapunzel's face turned murderous and he attacked with a slash of his blade. Tsuna blocked with his tonfa crossed and he came at the swordsman with a clear note of rage in his Sky Presence. Multiple blows were exchanged, weapons glancing off each other with bright sparks, and Tsuna's speed without a hundred-plus extra pounds slowing him down was far faster than even he anticipated as he managed the first hit and struck Rapunzel with a Sky-Lightning enhanced blow to the swordman's side, sending him flying briefly*. Grinning wildly, the man bounced back from that hit with a torn and charred jacket and some heavily blistered skin showing through. A moment later Tsuna barely blocked another strike before he was kicked and sent barreling through the air like a damn American football, only to crash through a window.

(While the swordsman was distracted Kyoko hurried to her downed friends. She pulled the two boys up and into what must could have been an uncomfortable position for both, as she carried them like sacks of flour to the far side while slumped over her shoulders. Both had damage to the heads that would take more care in healing than a bone. Basil stood guard as she worked with part of her attention on Tsuna.)

Having only in a few cuts on his cheeks and ear, with plenty of rips in his shirt showing what looked to be a gaudy metallic undershirt, Tsuna left the large front window in good health thanks to Spanner and Shoichi's armor. Now that he had gauged more of Squalo's ability and judged him to be like going up against a rhino with himself as the kitten, he dug deep and drew on his Flames until he felt the luscious heat of a Hyper Dying Will. The diamonds on his tonfa released dark orange Flames that made the air around them ripple, and then he rushed Rapunzel with a low growl.

Rapunzel smirked. He was hurt, and that wasn't surprising considering his profession. What had him feeling exhilarated, and for the first time in far too long, was fighting with this diminutive Sky. He could not remember the last time his heart rate picked up on a mission, and for that alone he felt enough respect for the brat to give his all in the fight and see if he lasted.

... And then the Sky Flames that brat emitted from his tonfa nearly melted completely through his sword with the first clash.

"VOI!" The swordsman dodged out of the way narrowly, feeling the heat of those Flames like a particularly strong hair-dryer blowing across his side and singeing more of his outfit. Once he was out of arms reach he had a grin that sent a chill down Tsuna's spine despite the glare on his own face.

"You are something else, brat. I've never had any trash damage my blade like that! The name is Squalo, kid," said the man as he reached over his shoulder to pull out another sword attachment. "You can't be called trash, but that doesn't mean you're anything."

Tsuna nodded his head. There were bound to be people better than him. He was just fourteen, but youth means he has time to grow and become that force of nature Fon told him he could be. If anyone or anything could give him the strength do that it would be everyone he cared for.

Squalo threw his cracked, half melted sword to the ground and fitted his new one. "Gotta say, brat. I think I'll be remembering you for at least a month."

The two stood in their stances, weapons at the ready and eyes locked on one another, and when a bird overhead released a screech, they came at one another for one last clash. Squalo's new sword was paler in metal, much like Takeshi's, and withstood his hard Sky Flames with each consecutive blow traded, but _that_ was due to the layer of angry looking Rain Flames coating the metal. Tsuna found himself being pushed all the harder, with some backlashes from the blocked strikes eventually slicing through his armor to catch flesh. Finally, when Tsuna felt like he was about to have his arms fall off from how numb they were, something amazing and horrifying happened.

Blurred movement drew Squalo's attention and Tsuna, knowing the presence headed their way, trapped the sword until it snapped in half and provided just enough delay. The moment Squalo managed to turn and block, his forearms were hit with possibly two tonnes of feminine rage and he had the pleasure of flying through a building. The Decimo turned his attention to his left and felt his mouth go dry at how fierce she looked. Was it wrong to find that attractive?

Beside him Kyoko stood, one of both blazing-white fists raised. She had a visible aura of Sun Flames and there were only a few hairs out of place as she settled a heavy stare on the destruction she caused. She wondered, was her punch strong enough? She'd put in as much power as she dared to with Tsuna literally a foot away from the man...

Unseen behind them, Reborn nodded to himself with a smothered rush of pride at how far his students had come. Basil, with his HDW flickering and slowly fading, was pale and shaking and staring at the two teens who, together, had managed to, and without prior planning, successfully double-team a man who was widely known as stand-in boss of the Varia. The small hitman took this as his chance to investigate exactly what the boy seemed to be guarding and knocked him out without being noticed by anyone. Within seconds Reborn found a box containing seven familiar rings, but one touch to the half "Vongola Sun Ring" assured him they were all very well made fakes. He resealed the package and headed over to Tsuna and Kyoko right as Squalo left the rubble with bleeding scrapes over his face and the sleeves of his forearms obliterated by the force and heat of Kyoko's punch.

Reborn tossed the box at Squalo. "Take it. I can't fight a member of the Vongola, and I can't let this fight go on since it risks my pay-check. Now leave before I sic Lancia on you."

(Tsuna heard what was said and didn't think twice about taking it as the hitman wanting to hide his resignation from Rapunzel. Knowing the "baby" even slightly, he couldn't help believing Reborn had a plan of some kind in the works.)

Squalo pried open the box and smirked before he pocketed it and eyed the tall, scarred man standing to the left. That one radiated intent to harm and that fancy looking kanabo must weigh a hundred pounds, but he was spinning it with remarkable ease in one hand. Seconds later Squalo recognized him as "Mukuro", the mafia killer, and continuing the fight looked to be a perfect stress reliever, but then...

"Oi, Squalo, long time no see." Tsuna and Kyoko perked up at the familiar voice. There stood Dino with a hard expression and his whip in hand. "It's pathetic further beating up on children when you have what you came for."

The assassin appeared as though he'd bitten into a lemon disguised as an apple and wasn't sure whether he should toss it in the trash or make someone else eat it*.

"Nah. The Sky brat can fight, and his little girlfriend punches like a bomb. I've had my fun." Tsuna kicked the broken sword to him and he left with his trashed weapons.

Not wanting to wait a second more, Kyoko turned to Tsuna and set about healing his wounds and fixing the damaged armor (a skill Reborn had seen fit to pass on to her). In two minute's time, when every scratch and bruise was gone, she stopped fussing only to grab a hold of his hands. Her thumbs absently stroked the thick silk of his deactivated gloves, and Tsuna watched as her calm and attentive expression melted into one of worry and resignation. Concern kept him quiet and prompted him to give her hand a reassuring squeeze. Taking strength from that gesture, she looked to the adults in range and caught Spanner's eye, then she forced a smile and twirled her finger with a soft call of, "Please turn around." Though one was a just a tad reluctant, all did so.

Soft, warm and faintly sweet. Kyoko's kiss was so gentle his breath caught and his face flamed. She pulled away with tearful eyes before she hugged him tight and tucked her head against his neck.

"It's not enough, Tsuna-kun, I'm not... I can't stand beside you and fight yet, but I promise I will."

Tsuna gave himself a mental kick to the head and quickly returned her hug. "I have faith in you, Kyoko-chan. Someday you'll be like Reborn, only a lot easier on the eyes."

She choked out a giggle and even the mini disaster zone around them seemed brighter.

(And then everyone had to flee like Langoliers were on their behinds when the police started heading closer.)

* * *

 **OMAKE**

 _ **Inside the Matriarch's head once again.**_

Sawada Nana knew the value of peace of mind. Hers was the health and happiness of her beloved her son, the children, and all his other precious friends. She knew Reborn was doing more than helping him improve in school, she recognized the signs of extreme training from his time with Nobu, who she was happy to see back in her son's life.

When he returned with them and stayed for dinner she asked him to escort her the store. Three blocks from home she reached up, grabbed his ear, and tugged him down so they were face to face, and she had one of her Cyanide Smiles: "Within a week I am going to ask my son if he's had a talk with you. If he doesn't initiate it, Nobu-kun, be a sweetheart and do it yourself."

Nana could not recall ever seeing him go so pale, but then again that was the first time her "assassin's smile" (according to Hana-chan) was directed at him, and a bittersweet, if highly amused, part of her had wondered what her No-Good husband would say if he could see her then.

Back to the subject of Reborn and her son. The supposed "prodigy" who was much more like a man than an abnormally intelligent baby, was helping her son become strong, and so far she had already seen so much change. Tsu-kun stood taller, spoke with a touch more confidence, and best of all he seemed to have more faith in himself. Like most good mothers in regards to their children, she had always believed her son was special, but ever since the little tutor had arrived her boy was showing himself as more of the man she once thought Iemitsu to be, strong and with a growing independent streak. She used to pray for her Tsu-kun to keep going like this, but she had a strong feeling that it wasn't needed.

Nana was not one for secrets, she didn't like how they could drive a wedge between people. She kept some things about herself quiet, things like having family that travels around the world as a popular circus act boasting the best magic shows. She hadn't shown "psychic" ability like the rest of her family so she took it as her excuse to get away, see the world, maybe settle down in a quiet town and have children of her own. Now that she knew the "psychic" powers were Mist Flames she wasn't sure how to go about getting into contact with her family, much less her grandmother, the boss of that circus, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to. Tsu-kun had never asked about her family after learning that his father's were all dead, and she dreaded the day he ever asked.

Lying was another aspect of life that Nana understood the damage of, and she tried to teach her boy the dangers of it.

One of the few times she unknowingly lied to her son was after Iemitsu's leaving. Three times he asked when his papa was coming home and she answered each time with "this month for sure" because she had deeply hoped for such and believed in her No-Good husband then. He was just attending his construction sites, how long could that take? She had eventually arrived at the conclusion that the man did not work in construction and her wondering over where he was and what he did was the source of her crying as the years went by. Then, after a brief phone call at five in the morning, he returned out of the blue and it was a disaster even before the kidnapping and rescue orchestrated by her _twelve year old son_. Whatever love Tsuna had for Iemitsu had shriveled to nothing, and the man left before she could even find the courage to bring up the subject of their broken marriage. She was still working on that.

Despite the aversion to secrets that she held, Nana knowingly kept two from Tsuna:

 _She knew._ Granted, not everything at first, but it did not take Sherlock level intellect to deduce a few things when one lives with a walking kidnapper magnet named Fuuta. Especially when a high number of despicable men would make references to mafia's, the criminal underground, and how getting innocent Fuuta-kun would give them a advantage over an envied group called the Vongola. It was a detail that, to her, was no more important than the grass being green because she had full faith in her son and his strong, reliable friends. With the arrival of Reborn she had heard snatches of references to the Vongola group again. It wasn't unil Takeshi-kun volunteered to escort her to the grocery store that all the pieces of a puzzle long-in-completion came together. He casually told her of the "Mafia Game" that he's been playing, a "game" that had her Tsu-kun being trained as the boss, and it started with Reborn's arrival.

In the middle of the sidewalk, just her and Takeshi in the pleasantly warm evening, she hardly noticed her breathing quicken and the world sway as it narrowed down to just herself and her normally controlled emotions building like a rising tide of terror. But then Takeshi stepped in front of her and gave her a soft look of understanding as he said this:

"Next to my dad and friends, Tsuna is the most important person in my life and no matter what comes at him I'll be there to keep him standing. Me and everyone else who cares for him."

Needless to say, this gave Nana the strength resume being herself. The two of them returned soon after that with food and none seemed to notice anything off.

Her second secret was the training with Shamal. He explained to her in detail what Mist's can do, how the most skilled and powerful can make their illusions real enough to physically heal, in a way, as much as damage the body in addition to breaking a mind, and all with the Construction trait of Mist. Real Illusions will leave damage to the surrounding area when dispelled, but the problem with that useful skill rests in how few Mist users are capable of using Construction. In the end she had both the power and gift for it, but that isn't the secret.

In order to inflict specific pain on someone a Mist user must experience it for themselves*.

* * *

 **I don't suppose this counts as a cliff-hanger? Uh, before the omake I hit you guys with the force of a flying cow. (At least that's how it felt to me after writing it out.)**

 *** Ken and Chikusa: M.M. fled to her cushy hide-away in France. As for the other two, well, I'll write an omake for that! I might put an entire chapter of omakes up. It's tempting and it would be the only one not with "Chapter ##" at the top, it would have "Interlude: Insert Snappy Name".**

 *** "Hey, Author, why did Iemitsu try sneaking into the house earlier than in canon?" Because I imagine he wanted to talk to Nana and before getting the cold shoulder from his son. AND ALSO... the kick-him-in-the-face scene was** _ **supposed**_ **to be more humorous than that but it was 2:30 in the morning when I was hit in the face with a sudden** _ **just start writing for the love of everything JUST WRITE WOMAN, DANG IT**_ **feeling, and my Muses were plotting with Reborn.**

 **PS. I got the kick-to-the-face idea from** _ **general zargon**_ **and** _ **Blazin'Blue**_ **, so thanks you two! Sorry it wasn't funnier.**

 *** Tsuna's Crying: He'd rather be "weak" than resort to destruction to vent his frustrations, though I think I say as much in the writing.**

 *** Chrome: Being in a loving environment where people treat her with respect and there's a woman like** **Nana** **treating her like a daughter and spending precious time on her, it's bound to have a fairly quick effect on a girl who previously had received nothing good from her mother. Next to Nana I feel like she would open up most around Tsuna since he nearly died saving her.**

 *** SQUALO IN NAMIMORI: One, he was clearly after Basil, who she did not know is connected to the Vongola. Two, Mitsuko (who has the town bugged) tries not to interfere unless the underworld person is a "rabid wolverine" and causes a ruckus like an angry goat. Which means she's disappointed in Squalo's lack of subtlety. And YES, if Mitsuko ever, ever met Squalo or other loud, prone-to-expensive-damages Varia officers, she would refer to them as "Silver Goat, Prince Goat, Pitiful Goat (Levi) and etc. Xanxus would be the only one she doesn't call "goat" because he'd be too much of a headache. Mammon would be "Chibi Kid".**

 *** Basil's Speech: It's adorkable, I'll give you that, but Basil watched some modern anime and Japanese horror films and realized, not long after the rosy sunglasses were removed, that Iemitsu had messed with him so he sought to fix that (for the most part). Those he respects are addressed a "-dono".**

 *** FIGHT WITH A SHARK: To start off, Gokudera doesn't have the same conditioning as Tsuna, or even Takeshi, but he's getting there. As for Takeshi, well, Squalo is** _ **Varia Quality**_ **and this his first time going up against a man from a group of assassins that are in a league all their own. Give the poor guy a break. That** _ **and**_ **I wanted to give Kyoko one more Crowning Moment of Awesome.**

 *** Tsuna's Fight: He had the advantage of watching the man's movement and his Intuition on top of sorta "testing" the others strength. He also knew that Gokudera and Takeshi had a chance to defeat the swordsman, but neither were prepared for that level of ferocious skill. Nor were they very good at** _ **working together**_ **. Keep in mind that Tsuna has had the benefit of fighting the human incarnation of the God of War, Mars, also known as a severely enraged Hibari. (A Hibari Kyoya who has had much more concentrated training than the wild canon counterpart). Include Fon and a prone-to-mostly-feigned-craziness Nobu, and well...**

 *** Squalo and Lemon-Apple: That feels so right. I gotta keep it in. xD**

 *** The Kiss: It literally came out of nowhere, the idea hit me as I was answering a review (thank you** **Natsu Yuuki** **!) and I hope it was done okay.**

 *** NANA: I wonder if that was actually a revelation to anyone. A lot of you are quicker on the uptake (or think harder on the stories you read) so ... probably none?**


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

**Guest** **: I'm happy you like him so far!**

 **trolollol** **: First, I like the guest name. Second, nope. No relation to Mammon, though oddly enough I did consider it at one point. No, the "psychic" power are just Flames of the Sky, Nana just didn't know until she learned of them from Reborn.**

 **NOTE: Babysat all day, was totally side-tracked and my friend reminded to upload. Still going to work my way through the reviews. With longer ones it's going to take some time since I think harder and takes me time to weigh my answers. I'm a turtle, what can I say? (totally have not been watching TMNT 2012 all day) ALSO... 22 CHAPTERS!? Holy cheeze nips, I'm in shock. I actually wrote that much and lasted that long with a fic. (ch 23 done, 24... not even started D: )**

 **WARNING: Some gratuitous swearing. It IS the Varia. And Tuna gets a potty mouth sometimes.**

* * *

 _ **"The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance." ~ Nathaniel Branden.**_

* * *

 _Same Night As The Attack on Basil and Group_

Tsuna watched the half Sky Ring glow in the light of his Sky-Lightning fist. Part of him was tempted to see if he could light the ring up, but Reborn had cautioned everyone against that because, without the other halves, they could damage priceless heirlooms and not even the gods would be able to save them all from his bullets.

Earlier that evening everyone gathered to listen to Basil and Dino. It was learned that Basil was unknowingly playing distraction to protect what that the Chiavarone boss held: the real half rings. (Dino said, when he took the job of delivering the rings to him, that he punched Iemitsu in the face for being such a negligent father. This has risen the Chiavarone boss up to god-status in Tsuna's mind.) The Decimo did not need to be told that this was Iemitsu's idea and he was the most outwardly bothered by it. Basil had not been critically hurt, he said it was expected of him to take such risks. He wasn't as valuable as the rings, they were _priceless_.

Learning the function of the rings, and the fact that the other halves are being given to six strangers capable of protecting Tsuna, lit a fire under nearly everyone's butts. Nana was in the backyard with the children and Lancia, however, so she did not hear the arguing over who held the rings. Reborn let the din continue for five minutes before declaring it would all be decided on a lottery depending on the power of the Flames put into quartz marbles. These stones were then put in a tumbler and marbles with the most Flames were supposed to jump out.

Tsuna had been irritated that Reborn insisted on Lambo joining in on the "fun" but did not believe anything would come of it. Hibari stated Tsuna owed him (for both his taking the ring and charging a rock with his Cloud), and in the end these nine were chosen: Hibari, Gokudera, Takeshi and Hana, Ryohei and Kyoko, Chrome, and worst of all, _Lambo_ and Spanner were chosen to be the Lightnings.

Lambo actually being chosen started a massive argument and Hibari headed into the backyard. With Nana's permission he continued the children's Carnivore Training* while everyone, including Gokudera, argued against a child being the Lightning Guardian. Reborn sat there on the table, sipping his espresso, for ten minutes before he shot toy gun-Leon to shock everyone into silence.

"Spanner and his robot will be the official Guardian of Lightning until the cow-brat is old enough to become joint Guardian." Reborn leveled a sharp look on Tsuna and the Decimo's glare did not relent. "And until the cow-brat is old enough to understand anything, he will be protected and carefully trained."

Spanner agreed and said he had a few more ideas to put into his Sarubūto to make it strong enough to fight reasonably well.

For the next five days (give or take some incidences), everyone trained hard to gain power as much for each other as for Tsuna. Of course, a certain Guardian did not make the conscious decision to grow stronger for anyone, he did so with acknowledging it at all.

Once everyone left Reborn told Tsuna that he would get intensive training as well. The start of it would be mainly working on two "tricks" the Primo knew, but he would be fighting Basil while both utilized a true Hyper-Dying-Will in battle. Reborn took the three children into the mountains for the extended camping and training trip, casually saying that he'd have in-his-face motivation morning to night. Primary goal: Flight with gloves. Secondary, further hone the duration and power of his HPD, and Third; work on the _Petrification_ ability of Sky. Lambo and the other kids were given Flame exercises and firm commands to be quiet or spend time as a rope mummy while going without candy and having only vegetables for food.

Hibari trained with his mother, but it wasn't "normal" training. Hibari had always pushed himself when sparring with his living goal in life and parent, but her hearing of his going against a particular group, which she kept quiet about, prompted a new level of training her son relished.

Ryohei was learning under Colonello, and the Rain Arcobaleno had not expected an extra when he arrived to train one. He remembered Kyoko and after getting an example of her control over Sun Flames in terms of manipulating the power of her punches, and their affects on the environment, the problem was how Ryohei did not exhibit the same level of control*. What he did have, however, was remarkable resilience, an "elasticity" to his cells that, when combined with his subconscious reliance on Sun flooding his body in a low-level of constant Dying Will, gave him incredible potential that Colonello saw fit to grace with a Spiritual Bullet carrying knowledge of a technique. This move was practiced while Kyoko received a lesson of her own from Colonello.

Takeshi worked on his speed and strength while wearing weighted training clothes gifted by Nobu. He consumed a handful of _Soleggiato/Sunny_ Pills daily to facilitate recovery. As his father had taken it easy on him for years (relatively easy, anyway), Takeshi was determined to make up for that oversight.

Gokudera's training was under Fon, the Storm Arcobaleno himself. His accuracy, physical limits, and his Storm Flames control was put through the ringer. Making bombs to hold Storm Flames is different from Sky, because Gokudera knew his boss had the skill and then some to keep from burning the entire structure before the bomb could explode ten seconds after infusion. Storm would eat away unless he could come up with a proper shell to contain the Flames... And then there was his accuracy to work on, as well as his strategy. Fon was blunt and told him to incorporate that large brain of his and plan attacks, and this was the first and only time the Arcobaleno would spell it out. As the Storm of Tsuna's group he needed to be careful and brilliant in his plans because his Flames spelled the most potential disaster. After all, Storm Flames won't hurt the originator, but they will take minutes or an hour to "burn out", leaving horrible devastation in its wake.

(Fon and Shamal had a little chat about differing teaching methods and Fon ended it by saying he preferred to skip wasted time in favor of breaking Gokudera to help him improve. The boy can take his time _after_ there is no longer a psychotic prince waiting to eviscerate and dismember him.)

And finally Chrome trained with Nobu himself. Being new to the strain of physical training, she mainly used Rain-type _Soleggiato_ Pills to soothe the muscle pain. Her goal was to wield a bladed staff weapon. Nobu had shown her a number of polearms from his collection, and the one she took a liking to was called _Fang Tian Hua Ji_ , a Chinese double-sided Halberd with a spear. Hers was shorter than normal and stood at exactly her height of five feet because it was collapsible and adjustable. Both ends are made of pale precious-steel of extremely durable hardness on the Rockwell scale, with the top having double-crescents and the other end having a three inch sharp blade. For the Mist half of her training Nana and Mukuro would, though the former did not know it, work together to guide Chrome through improving on her Real Illusions and learning less painful experiences as "ammo". Half the training she went through was learning to break illusions, the strongest (though non-lethal) Nana could muster.

Nobu's favorite brand of crazy was toned down a bit for Chrome. He did still bring a cute pink and purple smiley-cloud patterned martial arts outfit for her to wear during physical training.

For the first four days the Sawada home was occupied only by Nana, Bianchi, Chrome, Nobu (live-in tutor) and the clever Piero. The cat's tendency to "boot" Mukuro out of her body whenever she was hungry amused Chrome. It seemed she was the only one who could see a very slight "echo" of Mukuro's form as a spirit, especially when he appeared disgruntled at abrupt bootings.

She was of the private opinion that he had a pout. Somehow dignified and prideful, but a pout none the less, and she found herself becoming rather fond of him.

 **o o o**

Nana had been waiting for Iemitsu to visit properly.

Three days after everyone's training started, Nana called him up, speaking in her usual gentle voice, and asked him to come by. She only had the nanny, Chrome-chan, Lancia-kun, and Piero as company while the kids were out with others on an extended "camping trip". She wanted to show Iemitsu pictures and tell him about some things he'd missed.

It was a late afternoon. Chrome had left with Lancia three minutes prior, the both of them carrying food, non-perishable snacks, and vitamin waters in a Mist-endowed backpacks for the two boys Mukuro had told her and Tsuna about. Spanner was driving her to Kokuyo land at Nana's request. Tsuna already dropped off a care-package of a kind before he disappeared to train in the mountains, and now she gave Nana space while she left to go give the boys food. Without Mukuro they could not easily steal what they needed.

When Iemitsu arrived he was dressed less like a construction worker and more like someone on their day off. As he unlocked the front door he still considered partly his and entered, he was hit with a slight shudder of dread. He headed to the kitchen and paused at the door to watch his beautiful wife. She was seated, her side facing him, and in front of her was a black book and a thick brown leather folder with a silk rope wrapped around to keep it closed. Tea, freshly made and smelling of fruit and spice, filled kitchen with a foreign scent.

"Nana-chan~! " Iemitsu swept into the room and planted a kiss on her head before he sat beside her. "How are you doing?"

She hummed slightly and smiled blandly, then slid toward him the small book that he realized was an album, going by the word stamped in small silver letters in a corner. Mystified, he opened to a page a little past* the middle and paled. It was a photo of Tsuna, years younger and so much more frail looking, heavily bandaged and intubated. Dark bruises covered his pale skin like a child's painting brought to life horrifically, and stitches were visible through shaved patches of hair. Opposite this one was another photo, this one of Tsuna covered in more bandages and with stitches on his face covered by clear bandages. Had he... had he fallen through glass? Hit by a car? The second, that note was written in small, shaky letters beneath the photo.

"N-Nana-chan..."

"There are pictures of my son's worst accidents, Iemitsu, and more of him clearly feeling at his worst." There was a trembling in her voice that made him look up and he drew back at the tears trailing down her cheeks, but the hard stare she aimed at him was worse. "There's something very important we must agree upon..."

Iemitsu felt a cold sweat begin. "What is it?"

She reached into a dark bookbag sized shoulder purse to pull out papers and his stomach dropped. She slapped them down and slid them over - _**divorce papers**_.

He went pale and began shaking as his eyes traced each letter. He opened his mouth, made a small choking noise, and his teeth clacked as he snapped his mouth shut. She was patient, sipping her tea with trembling hands, and eyeing a crack in the wall that happened when Lambo set off a bomb he took from Gokudera. She remembered waving Reborn away while cheerfully saying the mark was like a memory.

When Iemitsu's tongue worked again he closed the album and looked at her, eyes begging no matter how the smarter, mafia life hardened side of him said don't bother. "Nana-chan, please, I'll change. I'll compromise with my work, I'll find more time to visit, I'll help more with Tsuna!"

Nana shivered and palmed her eyes, silently praying for strength. " _No_. You abandoned us after allowing our son to be crippled." She didn't see him flinch and force a blank expression as guilt gnawed at him. "A silly part of me still loves you, but the mother part of me says I should beat your head in with my rolling pin and call in Hibari-kun to deal with the body."

Iemitsu stared at her and clutched at his chest as shock and fear combined to make his heart beat painfully fast. "Wh-what did you just say?"

Nana took one very deep breath and folded her hands on the table as she glared at him. "You are no good. You aren't worth thinking or worrying about," her words hit him sharply as she stood and leaned over him. "You let Timoteo seal Tsuna's Sky Flames and because of that my son nearly killed me numerous times!"

Nana curled one delicate hand into a fist and slammed it on her polished dining table as her voice rose in volume. "Nearly dying never bothered me because it didn't matter if _I_ was hurt, all that mattered was my boy. You never saw the utter loathing Tsu-kun had for himself. You were never there to wipe away his tears, or patch him up after a simple day at school! You never saw how _broken_ he was even with Piero!"

Emotional agony had been something Iemitsu buried away and never allowed himself to feel until he had a family of his own to mess up, and now that pain was digging through his chest like shards of glass. That she knew of the Flames of the Sky was inconsequential, that didn't mean she knew anything important. Lovely as she is, he knew she wasn't the sharpest, but she was the kindest, and his beloved had drifted on and left him behind. She had became a fierce, wonderful person who could so easily yell at him and and glare with such a protective, heartbroken rage in her lovely, blue tinted eyes...

Wait.

Iemitsu straightened nearly swallowed his tongue as he realized the blue in her chocolate brown eyes could only be the light of a Mist Flame rising up in response to her emotional turmoil. How had she come to awaken a Flame this late in her life? Tsuna's birth, if anything, should have awoken it since Iemitsu's own had not done so even after Harmonizing with her.

Nana hung her head and took several deep, slow breaths as she regained her self-control. When she raised her head the deep blue glow was brighter and her face was calm, fierce, and made his heart twinge with regret and loss.

"So, you know about the Flames, Nana-chan? How?" He hoped she didn't know about the mafia. It would break her, he was sure.

Nana sat down with a grace he didn't realize she had. "I'm sure you never found out, but Tsuna and I were attacked years ago. I used my Mist for the first time that evening, incapacitated some men through terror, and... it has come in handy ever since Tsuna and I took in Fuuta."

"R-Reborn told me about the attack. Now, do you mean _de la Stella_ Fuuta?"

He really should have done more research before coming down.

"Yes. Tsu-kun saved him and months later Fuuta-kun became my boy's unofficial son." Nana's calm, unemotional face broke with a tender smile. "Fuuta-kun has been great for Tsu-kun, and so has Lambo-kun and I-Pin-chan, two other children who really took to him. He cares for them so much, my Tsu-kun... he's taken care of them and reads to them, and he disciplines them with all the love of a parent."

Nana's lovely expression turned dark as she settled her attention on him once more. "I can forgive you for being in the mafia. You should have realized that I loved you enough to take you into my heart and soul regardless of your profession... but _I will not_ forgive you or Timoteo for putting such hate, both for you two and for himself, into my son's heart. It took so long to break him of that even slightly, and it's taken all his friends and Reborn-kun to continue fixing him."

Iemitsu could feel himself going pale, and wasn't that such an old and familiar sensation. "You..."

"Fuuta-kun was on every monster's kidnapping list." There was an honest-to-Kami look of exasperation on her sweet face. "They were quite chatty before I knocked them out with Mist and rolling pin. I know I'm not particularly sharp, but it wasn't much of a leap after hearing how many of them feared and hated a group called the Vongola when I heard that name again several times after Reborn-kun started tutoring... It was Takeshi-kun who gave me the last piece of the puzzle by mentioning playing a _mafia_ game with Tsu-kun as the leader being trained for heading the Vongola."

The air cooled as Iemitsu's emotions spiked and raged. He was torn between pride for how powerful his beloved must be to show the Flames in her eyes, and a sudden violent hate toward the cheerful boy he recalled. How dare he tell Nana. It should have been him if anything, and at best it should never have happened.

Nana paled at the sensation curling around her, tightening and stealing all the heat from her body. This reminded her of the times Tsuna grew emotional and lost control of his Sky just enough to raise the heat. Only recently had his temper taken to dropping temperatures, and it was never a bother to anyone but enemies she was sure. Now a very real fear crawled up her spine with prickly, terrifying relentlessness, and she knew this anger was directed at sweet, caring and protective Takeshi-kun. Nana did not know her husband, never really did, and she was seized with a terrible thought: Could he kill adorable, silly Takeshi?

She stood and this move went unnoticed by the man struggling to keep down his bloodlust, and she withdrew her black marble Vongola Rolling Pin. The density of Mist that filled and wreathed it was almost blinding, and she put everything into creating a Real Illusion, filling the kitchen with dangerous floating blades directed at him. Their numbers neared a thousand and all carrying a full-force illusion of quadriplegia. Despite her fear she put on her best Cyanide Honey Smile and slammed her rolling pin down, cracking the table more than she thought possible for herself. In the quiet it was akin to a crack of thunder.

When Iemitsu snapped out of his fugue he looked up and nearly pissed himself. There, filling the kitchen and blocking out most of the sunlight even while reflecting some of it, were hundreds of scalpels glowing with Mist, and seeing an expression more at home on a female assassin's face on his beloved turned him positively ashen. As he sat frozen in his chair the scalpels shifted closer, bumping into one another and clinking much like wind chimes.

"You aren't thinking of hurting Takeshi-kun, are you Iemitsu? Tsu-kun and I wouldn't need to ask Reborn, he would just shoot you if you dared to even try." Iemitsu nodded slowly as he came to the conclusion that his world turned inside out in the time he's been away. "Sign the papers, keep sending child-support, and if Tsu-kun, for some unfathomable reason, desires to see you, I will send you a message."

Five minutes later Iemitsu left her the house and every single object inside. He signed papers for mutual separation and his lawyers would ensure he would never have to set foot into Namimori ever again after the Ring Battles unless he was wanted or needed, and there was a greater chance of the latter.

When Chrome and Lancia returned from their (somewhat awkward) trip it was to find Nana crying into a mug of tea with a trembling smile. Neither asked about the Real Illusion they could covering the table top. It ended up being Lancia who helped the older woman smile again when he started relaying some of his experiences in looking after children from an old partner mafia that still existed today.

 **o o o**

 _ **Day Five of Training**_

Hibari Mitsuko sat in a room connected to the master bedroom. Three walls were full of computer screens showing images from surveillance around Namimori. Everyone _allowed_ into the town through the legal way is included in a list connected to the massive system memory, and there are a number of faces from a mafia database included on the Red-Alert List that makes her cellphone give off an obnoxiously loud and cheerful song to bring her opening up a laptop she carried everywhere nowadays.

Levi. A. Than, Belphegor the "Bloody Prince", Mammon the Mist Arcobaleno, Lussuria, and the thing they have as their "Cloud". All were officers, the captains, of their divisions. Lovely. The first one Mitsuko actually felt was a bit of a joke, but that was just her pride as a Cloud free from desperation for someone felt. Now, knowing about the battle for the rings, and how there are only a few who would steal one half for their own gains, Mitsuko figured out the situation and decided it was definitely the best idea to inform those relevant of incoming enemies. Especially Tsuna, who would tackle the Varia office of Lightning on his own if he felt he had to. Knowing the boy, and she felt she did after that one meeting, he would keep the children nearby in his protective reach. She called Reborn.

 _"Yes, signora?"_

"Varia officers in Namimori. Rain, Lightning, Storm, Sun, Mist, and that Cloud abomination they've been using."

 _"... Thank you for informing me."_ Click.

Mitsuko stretched lazily and returned to the reinforced "Flame" Room she had built in the attic, which is exactly where her son was. He stood in the middle of a dark and empty room lined with thick metal, and was attacking phantom foes with blazing tonfa moving at a respectable speed considering he was wearing around two hundred extra pounds altogether with the training weight suit.

"What sent you out of the room, mother?"

The woman gave an exasperated sigh. "A few rabid dogs are on their way to kill Tsuna-kun and the rest of his... was it Pride, you called it? There are two Arcobaleno willing to fight, however, so they will be fine."

Hibari stood still for a moment before he pumped more Cloud into his training clothes to up the weight. He supposed he wasn't needed yet and besides that, his mother would not let him leave until he finished this part of the training and went on to spar with her, which was not something he intended to skip. Mothers aside, his Anaguma's Pride would be there. If they failed he would have to teach them not to be lax around honey badgers who could bite at more than they could take.

Thick skinned and vicious as they are, a honey badger like his Sky was also someone with a big heart, and that tended to push even intelligent people like his mother into bad situations.

 **. . .**

Tsuna's training consisted of being thrown off of high places by Reborn to begin him instinctively flying. Day four and five marked when Tsuna began working on flying without high altitudes, as well as the speed of his flight. For those five days Basil would take Lightning-type _Soleggiato_ Pills to increase his energy, endurance, and thought processes to give Tsuna a good friendly spar. During the days Basil took to practicing with his Flames much like the children and he'd achieved a good layer of Rain without his Dying Will Pills or a bullet as a medium.

Earlier that day Tsuna had been bothered by a need to go back to Namimori. Maybe it was his having to use Sky alone for the flight, but his Intuition seemed to be a bit sharper, and it was giving him a kick-in-the-butt nudge toward home. As soon as Reborn told him his flight training was done at seven PM he practically dove for the large family tent everyone had been using (with Tsuna being a human pillow for the children) and brought the kids in to help him take it down and clean up the campsite.

While Tsuna asked Basil to help them, Reborn recieved a phone call from Mitsuko and learned of impending trouble. The hitman looked up and took in the deepening orange and red sky and decided they had a chance. It would take an hour for the older teens to hike back to town, and half the time the children would be getting piggy back rides...

"Tsuna, enemies in the same league as Squalo in strength are on their way to take all the rings and possibly kill your other Guardian potentials. We have two hours to make it back to town and meet up with your _Famiglia_."

The boy huffed angrily. " _Fēi zhū_ _(flying pigs)!_ I knew something was up..."

In three minutes the camp was cleaned, Tsuna had changed out of his weighted clothes and into a casual t-shirt and jean shorts since he found August nights comfortable. They were on their way, with Tsuna making a deal with the children: walk on their own for thirty minutes and they can get _nearly_ anything they want, which worked out pretty well considering neither I-Pin or Lambo (the latter more likely) asked to be picked up. After that first half hour Fuuta gave I-Pin a piggy back and Tsuna carried Lambo on his shoulder as they hurried the hike into a swift jog that Fuuta managed to keep going steady in for over half an hour more before Tsuna had Basil take Lambo and I-Pin so he could carry the boy on his back.

"Basil..."

"Yes, Tsuna-dono?"

"Can I trust you to protect the kids with Reborn if it comes to that?"

The other's blue eyes narrowed in determination. "Believe me, Tsuna-dono, heads will fly if any Varia member tries to touch one of the children."

"Thank you."

 **. . .**

 _ **10:15 PM**_

Assassins work best in the dark of night time, and this is when the Varia decided to strike.

"106 meters south, 222 meters to the east," said Mammon.

"Hmph. Too easy," grumbled Levi. He turned to his minions. "From here the Levi Thunder Unit will go and retrieve the Ring of Lightning*. The wielder of the ring, along with anyone who interrupts, eliminate them."

Mammon kept Squalo's warning in mind. The boy named Tsuna and the girl called Kyoko, they seemed to be the most dangerous. It was best to assume all the brats had some tricks up their sleeves at least.

 **. . .**

It seems the Varia were expected.

This was normally not a bother, but when Belphegor, Squalo and Lussuria reported that none of the possible candidates were at home, Mammon did another thoughtography reading and found that "most" were in a plain area called Nagakusa Park.

The boy Squalo described was sitting on a beak-shaped rock with the target, both of them watching the stars*. When Levi sent in his three men to surround him the would-be Decimo lit up like a mini sun right as they appeared, displaying a Flame as pure as their boss, possibly more so. The gloves he wore transformed into handsome gauntlets of black and silver scales with golden X's on the backs. He moved skillfully, twisting and grabbing and throwing the three men like they were dolls. When one managed to get near the target their attack missed by inches when the cow-kid suddenly started rolling around and groaning about being bored. A single swipe of Lightning imbued steel cleaved the earth and only inflamed the would-be Decimo's anger.

It was heavy, cold, and carried a respectable level bloodlust.

Sky Flames grew brighter, turned a darker orange, and within a minute the three attackers were laid out and unable to move due to the shattered bones in their arms and legs, as well as a few well-placed strikes to the chest. The boy's touch had easily burned through clothing with each hit as well, which spoke of his affinity for the heat aspect of his Flames. Fight done, the would-be Decimo forced down his rage and calmed his cold Presence by kicking the three men twelve yards away. He had been unaffected by Lightning Flames the four times they managed a direct graze, and spoke of a latent Secondary Flame.

Done with this beat down, the boy turned his cold-burning eyes on several large oaks in the distance. Exactly where the gathered Varia stood to watch.

Xanxus wasn't sure whether he should be amused or irritated that the wannabe trash was Varia Quality. As boss he had to choose men to allow on missions, and those three were the strongest and fastest in the Lightning Division, and not only that they were the most sadistic and skilled in killing.

The target, a snot-nosed afro sporting piece of trash, glowed with Mist and Sun and showed himself to be the Arcobaleno hitman. That reveal was obviously a signal because a whole slew of walking trash stepped out of trees and bushes as if they weren't there, and surrounded the boy at his back. Xanxus quickly picked out the Mist user among them, a tiny wisp of a girl holding a _Fang Tian Ji_ weapon sized to match her. Behind the Varia boss's mostly real mask of cold rage he fought the desire to smirk in dark amusement.

That old bastard had at least made an interesting choice once all his sons died.

Xanxus jumped through the trees, disturbing not one leaf, and dropped down in front of the boy fifteen feet away. Not a hint of a flinch, and in fact his posture straightened and his eyes seemed to glow brighter. Xanxus could feel Sky Presence coming off the brat, and it was lukewarm, growing steadily and spreading over the entire park like a hungry forest fire. Normally Xanxus felt Dissonance with every Sky, the exception being Dino of the Chiavarone, who inspired normal Must Kill desires for being so disgustingly _human_. For a Varia soul at least. This Sawada whelp inspired far more interest than Dino's weaker Flames ever did.

That fact alone would make crushing the boy all the more satisfying. Xanxus had never fought a Sky who threatened to Synchronize with his Flames.

Both bosses held each other's eyes for a long, heavy moment before a pickaxe pierced the ground in front of Tsuna. The boy's demeanor quickly went from composed fighter to mildly murderous as he eyed the offending tool like a piece of maggot infested meat found in his bed. He knelt, ripped it out of the earth, and took a deep breath before the Sky Flames on one of his hands melted through the tools rubber and metal like ice dropped in a fire.

"Son of a..." Xanxus lifted an eyebrow as the boy stepped back while muttering an impressive number of native and foreign obscenities under his breath, then he looked at the stars like he'd rather be eaten alive by scarabs than deal with whoever that belonged to.

"Hold it, Xanxus, this isn't the way things go. As the leader of CEDEF I'll take it from here."

Ah. The brat's father. Ice spread around the boy's feet and that lukewarm presence covering the entire park turned cold enough to cause everyone's breath to fog thickly. That wasn't normal hate, Xanxus knew all kinds of anger and hate, and what the Sawada boy felt was a bit more than the urge to maim. From the would-be Decimo Xanxus could see a range of expressions on others faces, most being displeased, disgusted, or the kind of thoughtful someone contemplating murder might wear.

How amusing. The number one most irritating thing in existence happens to be loathed by his own flesh and blood and holds the enmity of his brat's subordinates.

 **o o o**

Direct orders from the Nono.

 _"My apologies to those reading this, I have made a mistake. Until now I felt that Iemitsu's son, Sawada Tsunayoshi, was meant to be my heir, but my years are coming to an end and my intuitions have sharpened. I've decided to select a more worthy heir in my son, Xanxus. Unfortunately there will be people who aren't satisfied with this change, loudest among them being the head of CEDEF, who refused to hand the other half-rings over to my son._

 _As such I have no choice but follow tradition and declare a Ring Battle to satisfy everyone's doubts. This means, for anyone understandaby ignorant, that those with matching Flames will fight for the right to hold the rings. Battles are to be one-on-one."_

 **. . .**

When Tsuna awoke the morning after that potentially harrowing encounter with the Varia, he was asleep on the floor in the middle of a big futon with three children snuggling into him.

"You look like a mama-lion with her cubs, Baka-Tsuna."

The boy sighed and suppressed what would have been a tender smile as he stretched and then pulled the kids close in a hug that felt nice.

"What would you do to protect them?"

Tsuna was quiet for a long moment, then he tilted his head up a bit to see Reborn sitting on one of his bookshelves.

"I don't want to be a killer... but..."

The hitman nodded. "Human beings are evolved mammals, it's only natural that you'd feel capable of doing anything to keep them alive."

"Mm... What do you know about the Cervello's, Reborn?"

"It's said they're as old as the Vongola and Giglio Nero _Famiglia's_ , and they're an all female organization. They work for the mafia with the greatest power and they tend to oversee mafia events and keep the rules of such things in place."

"Um, Reborn... something's been bothering me... the Varia are a group of assassins right? Do they have have problem killing anyone or anything in their way?"

"For the most part, no. They're a very bloodthirsty group, but _some_ of their insanity is them putting on an act to keep others from killing them."

"Okay. Didn't the old man want someone to change the Vongola for the better?"

"That's the impression I got, from the man himself and his Guardians."

"It seems weird that he would change his mind like this... but I'm just assuming here. If he first chooses a kid like me over his son, that says something. Now that he changed his mind so suddenly, I think that _really_ says something. L-like... did he lose his mind? What if... what if he's been attacked, or he's been drugged?"

"That's almost scary."

"What, Reborn?"

"That we thought alike."

Tsuna snorted and nodded. "Yeah. It is freaky. So, are we going back to the mountains to train?"

"You are going to _signora_ Mitsuko's house, Baka-Tsuna. Her home is far enough away from Naminori that you'll be able go there after school with Hibari, continue practicing your sloppy flying, and make it back on your own power at night."

Tsuna groaned quietly and nodded. He didn't want to bother Mitsuko-san, she had her son to train! A scrawny boy flying might be a distraction.

"By the way. Wear your heaviest training suit for flight. Aota will show me your progress."

From her perch on the windowsill the baby marmoset bot turned and squeaked an affirmative.

Tsuna quickly dressed and noticed, with a grimace, that he was shaking throughout his morning habits. How could he be what his friends and family need if he's so scared he's shaking?

 **. . .**

Breakfast was a cheerful affair, with colorful and sweet breakfast foods and a table centerpiece of Sun-Lion Blooms resembling a many-petaled chrysanthemum of glowing white and deep yellow.

The house was also very crowded. The kids sat at one end of the table near his mother, and the "official" Guardians (minus Hibari) were scattered around the living room and kitchen. On his left sat Hana, pestering him to eat a bit more along with Kyoko, and a worried-for-his-Juudaime's-health Gokudera who sat on his right, and across from the Decimo was Takeshi, Kyoko, and Chrome. Talk started with training and how things were going, and this progressed into a funny book Hana read. The Techies (Spanner, Shoichi, Haru) were in the living room with Ryohei, Nobu, and Colonello. Fon was at the kitchen table with Reborn and were talking in Russian, probably to mess with anyone listening in. Lancia seemed to be doing his best to keep the racket in the living room down, but Nobu was determined to let everyone hear his ridiculous stories about his adventures in the wilderness, which consisted of teaching a few bears to dance ballet with some bigfoots at one point.

By the time Tsuna was half-way to school with Kyoko hugging one of his arms and Takeshi pretty much hugging him from behind, his shaking had stopped. Even Gokudera's grumbling and glaring at Takeshi for daring to touch was making the boy smile a bit. It was familiar and comforting...

And Tsuna would protect moments like this. The times he spends with his _Famiglia_ , smiling and laughing and breaking up half-hearted fights and smoothing ruffled feathers and tempers, he would fight for it. He would give everything for it.

 **. . .**

 _ **NIGHT: Same Day. Battle for the Sun Ring**_

Kyoko and Hana were waiting with Takeshi, Ryohei and Gokudera when Tsuna ran up with Aota clinging to one shoulder, and Lambo on the other. Behind him Chrome was following with "Piero" following at her side, while Reborn perched on his shoulder.

"Sorry if we're late, we had to find Lambo. He decided it was time to play hide and seek."

Gokudera grabbed Lambo from Tsuna's shoulder and held him like a football. "Stupid cow, stop troubling the Juudaime!"

"Bakadera!" The boy wriggled and flailed his little arms. "Papa needed fun!"

Takeshi laughed while the silver-head paused in surprise. "That's right, little man!" He plucked Lambo from Gokudera's hold and set him on his shoulder. "Good job, you helped your dad!"

"Tch! He did not."

Tsuna looked at each one of his friends and locked away his fear. It had taken more than a day for him to pin point exactly why he was scared besides his friends facing possible doom; he was so out of whack because of Xanxus and his Sky Presence. It did not unsettle him like Iemitsu's, in fact it was the opposite, a part of him had been drawn to the older man's Presence and since he was going to have to fight tooth and nail, that wasn't going to make things any easier.

"Hey, I need to say something to all of you," Tsuna said as he looked at the ground and tugged his gloves.

What he was about to say wouldn't be happily recieved after all.

"I want you all to forfeit if things become too tough."

"But! J-Juudaime, you need the ring!"

"Tsuna, I promise I won't lose again." Takeshi stepped close and gave the boy's shoulder a squeeze. "There's still time to train, and hey, I'm still training right now! We'll win."

"Tsuna-sama..." Chrome hugged herself and gave her head a sharp shake. "No, I-I won't give up. You never g-give up, so how can I do that?"

"Lion-monkey, you really don't have to say that." Hana rubbed the back of her neck and sighed heavily. "Besides, the guy with Rain on their side has a sword, and I know when I don't have a chance. I'll have to fix that..."

Kyoko gave Hana a side hug and then stepped up beside her brother. She tugged him down and whispered something, and for several seconds he looked very reluctant, but then she said, "I'm like Sakura-chan, remember?" with a smile and he sighed with a grumble of agreement. Tsuna eyed the siblings worriedly and this only increased when Kyoko stepped forward with the same face she wore in that fight with Squalo.

Crap. That's not a look to argue with.

"Tsuna-kun, onii-chan and I have similar skill sets and differing abilities. Whoever gets to fight the Varia's Sun potential... that's up to chance."

The boy swayed on the spot and only regained his composure when Mukuro, called Romu in Piero, gave his leg a harsh scratch. This was obviously a delicate situation and Tsuna was only aware of it because of understanding Hana. He would not say Kyoko couldn't fight the Varia because she's a girl, since he knew gender has nothing to do with ability to fight, and he couldn't say no for any good reason other than she could be killed and that applied to ALL his Guardians and he really, _really_ just wanted to gather the kids, his mother, and all his Guardians (even Hibari) and hide in the center of the earth and ride dinosaurs and run from giant millipedes. Or, more sensibly, a bunker in the Marianas Trench (with what he's seen, he's reasonable sure such a ridiculous thing could be possible). And Kami, he wasn't sure how to articulate how he felt right then! He opened his mouth to say "please don't fight", made a choking sound, and then turned to Reborn only for Kyoko quickly to turn his face back toward her.

"I won't ask for your permission to do this, Tsuna-kun..." She patted his cheek with a terribly gentle expression of understanding. "I'm scared, I won't deny that, but if I get the chance then I'm doing this for onii-chan and you, and our entire Family."

Tsuna put his hand over hers and squeezed. "Okay... but I'll stop the fight if I feel like I need to, for any of you."

Kyoko stepped back and cheerfully smiled at him. "That's no problem, but hopefully that won't be necessary."

"VOOOOIII! Enough of this sappy shit!"

All the teens on ground level jumped, though Tsuna's reaction was more of a muffled squeak of alarm with his paranoia on high, and turned their attention to the roof of the school. Ah, right, he was trying not to think of how Hibari would react to Namimori-chuu being used as a battle ground. If he didn't go on a rampage he'd probably sue the group for everything they've got. Beside a pair of Cervello stood the silhouettes of the Varia.

"Battle-cards for the traditional scramble battle have been decided for tonight," said one Cervello. "And the first match is the battle between the Guardians of the Sun."

As the Varia and overseers jumped down, Ryohei and Kyoko, both sporting similar expressions of adamant determination, turned to each other and lifted fists, and Tsuna, along with Hana, did their best to look confident in the Sun's they cared about. Tsuna found that he couldn't watch and turned his eyes to the moon, so Reborn kept track of who won the five round game of Rock-Paper-Scissors.

"Baka-Tsuna..." Tiny fingers tugged on his ear, the action bordering dangerously close to gentle. "Ryohei won."

* * *

 **AM I THIS MEAN? Yes, yes I am. Also, my Muses like to regularly smack me with rotten frozen fruit and tease me with ideas that refuse to work. Like the** _ **ending**_ **there. Ch 23** _ **refused to work and adgafgafoiaugfoafg.**_ **I wanted Kyoko to fight, but at the same time I wanted to give Ryohei time to shine and I think that second desire culminated in nothing feeling right for Kyoko. SO... You'll definitely see some awesomeness in the Auture Arc, along with the other two girls (Hana and Chrome, just to clarify).**

 **** Carnivore Training: I will totally get to that. Someday. Have patience, lovely readers?**

** **Past or Passed: How stupid is it that this still trips me up? Which works better for "opened the book a little past/passed the middle"? I would really,** _ **really**_ **appreciate feedback. *nervous smile***

 **** Going through the manga. Finds "Ring of Thunder" and because I'm a doofus I panic and dive for the Reborn wiki to make sure I haven't been horrendously stupid for months and no one took pity. *heavy sigh of relief***

 **** REBORN... wanted to see how his student faired against some Varia subordinates. Of course he had to be close to bail him out just in case.**

 **THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS REVIEWED. Normally I take the time to note them down but I'm short on time right now, with my upload time being late, so... I'm sorry!**

 **If you enjoyed the chapter please drop a line! I love hearing what you liked or disliked, or when readers offers constructive critique!**


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

**IMPORTANT NOTE: I put off uploading this chapter because it was, and is still, the last fully written. I don't _want_ to excuse myself, but I'm not a professional and I've never been very good at tuning out noises around me and so I was too distracted to write while my brother was still here. I have a hundred words, maybe, written of ch 24 and not even a beginning. Just a scene that hit me. I think this qualifies as Writer's Block... D: I'll take another break after this chapter. Relax, get my bearings, so to speak, after my beloved and infuriating brother's disruptive presence (he took his "job" as irritating-as-fuck brother way too seriously). Also, I'll nibble my way through the reviews one or more at a time so I don't get too overwhelmed, which happens way, waaay too easily. The reviews will keep me motivated.**

 **ON THIS CHAPTER: There's fluff, there's maybe a bit of drama, and more CdC's!Tsuna being an overly awesome Stu. Oh, and follow-up on another omake. *wink wink***

* * *

 ** _"I feel quite fearless protecting the people I love." ~ Paloma Faith_**

* * *

Sasegawa Ryohei knew he wasn't very smart, not like his sister and the rest of the group.

He forgot most things so easily unless they were really important, like birthdays or his boxing club schedule. He did well school work enough to stay in his club (but only just), and now and again he would catch when someone treated him like a moron. It hurt a lot more than he showed, but then he would shrug it off and go on extremely training so he could be as strong as possible for his sister, Tsuna, and everyone else he cared about. To remedy his forgetfulness Kyoko had gotten him a notebook to write reminders in and it was helping.

Wait, was this the time to even think about insecurities and feeling sad? No! They were just distractions from being his usual extreme self and being awesome for others.

Ryohei stood away from the group, arms crossed and breath steady as he stared at the boxing ring he would be fighting to the death in. At least Reborn had been really blunt with everyone. Against the Varia it was win or die. In Ryohei's opinion it was better that he fights instead of Kyoko, since she was smarter and epic and she would do a better job of keeping Tsuna safe than him. Maybe. He had some cool moments though, right? Besides, he was too awesome to die, he'd be back on his feet soon enough even if he lost and had to be rescued.

A familiar slender hand landed lightly on his shoulder and he looked down to see Tsuna looking upset.

"I told this to Kyoko, and I don't give a crap about the rings! If I think you're about to die..."

Ryohei grinned and pulled Tsuna into a tight hug. "No problem! But you extremely won't need to!"

"Cheering ring! Everyone, we have to do a cheering ring!" said a certain Rain lad.

Takeshi sported a cheeky little grin as he looked between everyone, from Hana and Gokudera's oh-Kami-hell-no expressions to Kyoko and Ryohei's excited smiles and chatter. Tsuna and Chrome both looked a bit uncertain, and Reborn ended up starting it by kicking Gokudera toward Ryohei. Once everyone had linked their arms over each others shoulders Takeshi started it up.

"Ryohei, fight!" Tsuna and Chrome's voices were the quietest out of the bunch. "Ryohei, win!"

The boxer backed up and punched toward the heavens. "EXTREME! There's no way I could lose now!"

A Cervello cleared her throat. "Second Sun potential, will you fight or forfeit?"

"Gah! No, I'm fighting!"

As he ran forward Ryohei tore off his shirt and sports jacket, tossing it back at Tsuna with a confident grin. The Decimo held his clothes and sighed nervously as he watched his friend rush headlong into imminent pain.

When both Sun potential's met in the ring Ryohei was given the half Sun ring by a butterfly-Leon since he forgot it in his pocket. Lussuria looked him over as the Cervello started talking ("... rule... ring around your neck... upon defeat take... declared victor.") and fanboyed* over Ryohei's buff appearance via dancing and cooing until the Cervello stopped talking.

"Oh my stars, you are sexy enough to _eat_!" Lussuria clasped his hands under his chin and blushed as he stared at Ryohei hungrily.

(Outside in the spectator area both Tsuna and Kyoko tensed at this. She didn't completely understand what he said but she strongly disliked it and the man's tone of voice. Tsuna understood and grit his teeth.)

"You are _soo~_ coming home with me, future lover!"

Ryohei's face scrunched in confusion and settled into a boxing stance. "I don't get a thing you just said, but you're getting an extreme fight either way!"

Lussuria snorted. "A boxing pose, sweetheart? Pathetic. I shall go ahead and play with you using the ultimate standing martial art, Muay Thai!"

Ryohei narrowed his eyes and rolled his shoulders. This was what Colonello and his sister prepared him for, and he would not go down without taking a few bones with him.

"Oi, enough talk! Let's fight!"

A metallic clicking preceded the unused lights above turning on with a fierce and blinding radiance that quickly ratcheted up the heat to to match that of Japan's worst heatwave. Ryohei clenched his eyes and swore quietly as he felt himself start to sweat immediately. It was impossible to fight like this, he didn't have Kyoko's precise control over her Augmentation, all he could do was increase the power of his hits and the durability of his body, not his senses! If he could he'd be able to hear the weirdo coming at him.

 **WHAM.** Like the mini car that hit him in the stomach and sent him stumbling backwards a few steps.

(Over with Tsuna and the rest, he and Kyoko were holding each other's hand and being supportive as they watched Ryohei strike at an enemy who wore sunshades and could move about freely. A hit to the stomach, the jaw, chest... Tsuna's Flames were rising and crackling over his free fist, sparking wildly in a desire to fry that flanboyant man. When Ryohei was sent into the metal rope surrounding the boxing area, Tsuna had to step away from Kyoko because he could feel the ice beginning to spread out from his feet. Ryohei's scream of pain was working the last of his self-restraint.

"Electricity heats the rope to several hundred degrees," said one of the monotonous Cervello off to their left.

Tsuna hugged himself and started taking calming breaths as Leon decided to nuzzle his cheek comfortingly.)

Lussuria smirked and continued to balance on one foot and raised his knee.

"Aaah~ You're turning into my ideal body, sexy..." Lussuria licked his lips and chuckled. "Nothing's prettier than a cold, decaying corpse, after all."

(Tsuna growled and dug fingers into his forearm, while Kyoko, several feet to his right, had a face of deadly calm as she pulled on her battle gloves and cracked her knuckles. Both were prepared to leap in at a moments notice, and the Decimo refrained from snarling, "You touch him wrong and I'll rip off your arm, cauterize the wound, and beat you with it!")

Ryohei turned from the wire and, without being consciously aware of it, sent Sun Flames to the wounds to begin healing even as he lashed out with a wordless punch fueled by his anger. That bastard had just threatened to _kill him_ in front of Kyoko and everyone else, and he could only imagine their fear and worry. Sun Flames rose up in response to his anger and saturated his body enough for his closed eyes to gain a distinct, hidden golden glow.

Lussuria had read into his "future lover's" skill and considered him nothing, so he decided a little play wouldn't hurt. He allowed himself to be hit, thinking he wouldn't go far, but he _flew_ like a kicked tennis ball. Super heated wires swiftly burned through his clothes and covered his back in bleeding welts even as he launched himself off the wires and into a flying strike that would shatter the handsome boy's jaw.

Ryohei was quietly seething as he pumped every ounce of power he had into his next hit. It would land, his instincts as a fighter screamed that it was now or never since the weird-talker was in the air and headed for him, so for the love of Kyoko, Tsuna, and all kinds of boxing, _punch like_ _ **Tsunade-sama**_ _!_

Through shades helpfully provided by Reborn, Tsuna and his group watched as a smirking Lussuria made to hit the boxer with his other knee, but was greeted what may have been several tonnes of power enhanced by Sun Flames (and accompanied by the deafening yell of "MAXIMUM CANNON!"). Lussuria crumpled and went flying upward as fast as one of Reborn's bullets, crashed into the sun-mimicking lights above, and went right through it in a shower of super-heated shards of glass and falling bits of twisted metal. Ryohei had to punch at the falling debris, and remained mostly untouched. Lussuria was still in the air at this point.

Right then Colonello flew down on his eagle and perched himself on Tsuna's free shoulder.

"I see I missed the show, kora. Your mother found me outside and insisted on babying me," said the Rain Arcobaleno pinching Tsuna's cheek.

"Ow! S-sorry..." Tsuna's wide eyes were locked on the high flying speck of enemy backed by the full moon like something out of a shounen anime.

When the Varia Sun officer finally started coming down it was several yards away from the ring and toward the young Decimo's group. Kyoko stepped forward first, surprising others and leaving them several feet behind her, and observed the rag doll-like man hurtling toward earth and simply watched as he crashed. Bones audibly broke and the man released a startled squeak of pain, which grew into a whine when Kyoko, to the surprise and somewhat horror of several others, turned him over with a gentle kick and lightly put her foot on his chest with a cold glare.

"Ryohei is my _brother_ , and I will separate your legs and arms before castrating you if I ever find out you touched him inappropriately." She knelt, foot still on him. Her eyes were bright, golden, and so fierce the assassin thought of an angry wolf. "Do not mess with my boys or girls, understand?*"

Lussuria's last thought before passing out was, _I change my mind, can I keep this little angel?*_

(Meanwhile, all three thinking Varia Officers were staring blankly at the non-Varia carnage, though the Arcobaleno's face was hidden.

Belphegor broke the silence first with one of his practiced and easy creepy giggles. "Well, Shark, you did say to expect surprises."

"I said tricks, not another one who punches like an exploding fuckin' bomb."

"None the less," said Mammon, now composed and privately intrigued. "These wannabe-Vongola brats are not to be underestimated."

Levi scoffed. "Yeah, as if the cow-brat will be anything more than a bug to crush beneath my foot."

Squalo sent a deadpan look at the overzealous Xanxus-fanatic. "Who says it'll be the kid?"

"Hmph. Who else do they have to fight?"

Squalo ran a hand through his hair with a neutral face to hide the slight excitement for his own fight. He could probably beat his own opponent until Tsuna lost his shit and rushed in for the rescue, and then Squalo could enjoy another fight with the pipsqueak.)

Ryohei punched out the electrified rope and jumped down brushing out glass from his hair. He quickly approached his sister and the others with a wide, proud grin, and broke the chain around Lussuria's neck without fanfare. Now that the ring was in her brother's possession Kyoko smiled and removed her foot to start healing the unconscious Lussuria, only to be startled when Tsuna rushed in to knock away a flurry of bullets with his tonfa and a snarl on his face.

No bullet would have hit his friends, but that wasn't the issue. That weird Cloud officer-thing had been about to try and kill a the fallen man just for losing. No matter how twisted or weird the person was, they did not deserve to be killed by who, or what, should be a comrade. The mere idea had Tsuna's blood boiling and his Sky Presence heavy with the urge to maul.

Both Cervello then approached. "Congratulations, Decimo Candidate. Sasegawa Ryohei is the official victor of the scramble for the Ring of the Sun. Please give up the loser, he is no longer necessary. His people will take care of him."

Tsuna's rage and his presence was like a weight on the two identical women when he looked toward them. Sweat dripped down the face of both.

"They'll kill him, or are you willfully blind?" Tsuna's face twisted in disgust. "No, you understand. You're just no better than them."

Tsuna stood over Kyoko and Ryohei as they quickly worked to heal Lussuria. His attention was held riveted by that freakish robot because there was just something about it that repulsed his very Flame and it wouldn't come to him exactly why it was familiar. Unfortunately the Cloud-monster, after a minute, lifted its hands and shot at the group. Instead of bullets several dozen smoke bombs littered the area, and between his choices Tsuna grabbed his two Sun's and headed toward where he could feel the others most strongly.

Colonello ordered his bird to clear the area with what amounted to Defog* and it was found that everyone was gone, including Lussuria. The only thing left of him was the puddle of blood made by a number of his bones that protruded from his body before the healing session.

Tsuna sighed heavily. "Crap."

Reborn pinched his cheek. "They're Varia quality. If they want to deal with who they view as a lame member they will find a way."

"Ahem. Vongola Boss Candidate," said one Cervello. "I have sent a text to the necessary opponent. Your Lightning potential will be fighting next."

Tsuna's heart jumped into his throat and he found he couldn't speak for a long moment. "C-Cervello, do robots count as a weapon?"

"Yes, they do."

Thank the Kami, thank the freaking _Kami._

 **o o o**

Tsuna slept on the floor with the children in a what Reborn called a "cub-pile" with the Decimo, once again, as the main pillow. Half the night was spent thinking about texting Spanner and before he fell asleep he sent a message: _Please be careful and do your best._

That morning Tsuna found his hands shaking again and he went running to Spanner's house with a bento and a box full of dumplings made by his mother. He knocked for an entire minute before deciding to text and only then did the mechanical genius leave his basement den. He was disheveled, reeked of sweat and grease and candy, and his hair was a wild, adorably ruffled mess. Seeing Tsuna standing there with boxes of food and Piero meowing as if in greeting, the taller boy pulled his favorite person inside and asked him to wait.

Tsuna did so and put the dumplings away while keeping the bento on Spanner's kitchen counter. Meanwhile upstairs the sound of running water went on for five minutes before that stopped, hurried steps went to where Tsuna remembered Spanner's room being (as he occasionally had to wake the other up to try and get him to go to school with Shoichi). A minute later Spanner rushed down the stairs dressed in damp grey clothes splashed in blue and green dyes, and caught the shorter boy up in a hug.

Spanner gathered Tsuna close, backed into a kitchen chair, and sat down to snuggle Tsuna in his lap. A bit startled and blushing, Tsuna returned the hug and, after a long moment of hesitation, rested his head on the other's chest.

"What's with the cuddles?"

"Just recharging." Spanner nuzzled into Tsuna's neck and sighed softly, and had he lifted his head there would be a little grin.

"Oh... Um, glad to be of help? Oh, may I see what you're working on?"

"Nope."

Tsuna told himself he wasn't pouting and tightened his arms around the mechanic.

 **. . .**

That day during training Tsuna had Lambo, Fuuta and I-Pin cheering him on.

Reborn said that his sloppy flying was satisfactory. There was one other thing he wanted to get done with Tsuna before the end of the Ring Battles and his fight with Xanxus, and it had something to do with his _Petrification_ trait as a Sky. By the end of their training Tsuna would either be capable of using his hybrid Flame to surpass the Nono's Zero Point Breakthrough, or he would settle for the next best thing.

One-upping the old man, that was more than enough motivation and a good distraction from the battle later on.

 **. . .**

The first thing Tsuna did after meeting up with just about every Guardian potential (minus Hibari, again, who said he was fighting his mother) was direct a question to one of the Cervello.

"So what happens if one of us interferes in a fight?"

"Any who interrupt and the one who is saved will forfeit their rings and be disqualified."

Tsuna grimly nodded. Honestly, he'd expected as much. It didn't sound fair at all, but this IS a mafia related fight. He ought to keep expecting foul play and foul rules.

"Now, please look over there." She pointed to her upper right. "That will be tonight's battle field."

The roof, backed by a cloudy sky, was suddenly hit by lightning, startling Lambo and showing four massive metal spires that obviously acted as lightning rods. Tsuna wasn't the only one worrying about the fight as everyone with him hurried to the roof. The set-up this time consisted of the spires and the floor covered in a mesh of thick wires forming cocentric hexagons that started small in the middle and grew larger, like ripples in a pool, as they covered most of the roof. Just looking at it sent Tsuna's stomach flipping from non-Intuition unease and he held a chattering Lambo closer.

"Tonight's combat area is fitted with lightning rods for the match between Thunder Guardians. This design is called the _Elettrico Circuito_."

As if on some cosmic cue more lightning descended from the sky and lit up the rods and the wires violently. The roof was shining with energy that could prove deadly to people without a strong Lightning Flame.

"The _Elettrico Circuito's_ floor has been coated with a special conductor. Lightning that strikes the rods will be discharged into the floor at several times it's normal potency."

Spanner swallowed hard and swished around his strawberry sucker. It had to that dangerous, didn't it? At least he'd prepared for fighting some ultra powerful would-be thunder god and made a few appropriate accessories. The quirky mechanic stepped to the side and pulled a thick cloak off his weapon: Sarubūto.

Standing at exactly 6'4", matching Lancia and Levi's height, it possessed a thick body structured to mimic the former, and was made of both knew precious-steel and more scrapped from reclaimed older weapons he'd made for Tsuna and Hibari. The bot was painted a dark green, had a long tail lined with colorless diamond-cut cubic zirconia. The human-like hands are tipped with a very hard, dense metal forged with tungsten, and the nails are designed to grow five inches with a programmed application of Cloud Flames and become needle sharp weapons. The gorilla-like face possesses a mouthful of dark metal teeth that are also needle-sharp and jaws with a biting force several times that of a Nile crocodile, which happens to be _5000 psi._ Saruken was built for power and speed, with reflexes and speed potentially greater than that of Lancia and Tsuna. Sarubūto was made to be a little ruthless against "average" opponents, but against anyone that attempts to directly attack one of the Family, or a civilian, the warrior-bot will come down with very brutal mercy.

Spanner, dressed in a rain coat and wearing clunky looking special rubber shoes as a precaution against unwanted electrocutions, stepped close to Tsuna and tilted his chin up. The Decimo was surprised and blinked as a blush colored his cheeks at the resemblance to certain shojo manga scenes (courtesy of Haru lending him volumes), but _that_ couldn't be what he wanted... right?

"I need a little good luck, Sora-chan."

And he kissed the corner of Tsuna's lips before turning and approaching the edge of the dangerous conductors. Behind him, while Tsuna stood there stunned and cherry-faced, and still with his face tilted up, Takeshi held Gokudera back with a pout which the Sky did not catch. Hana, while a little jealous too, saw this and gave the swordsman that universal "I'm watching you" gesture. He responded with a helpless little grin. He couldn't help being kinda jealous, right?

"Thunder Guardian, please take your weapon and go to the center of the battleground."

"You're opponent has been waiting for two hours."

Spanner decided he didn't much care for these Cervello ladies. That they didn't have much physical differences wasn't the problem, it was the just that they struck him as nefarious in his mildly genre-savvy mind. They could easily be body-snatchers, like in that old movie, and they modify the corpses they steal, and... this wasn't the time for entertaining idle fantasies. Point is, they put him on edge and he would be glad when the battles were done and the Varia and their pink haired weirdos were gone.

"Ah, that's a shame. I shouldn't keep him waiting then."

Spanner glanced around and spotted the burly, angry looking dark man he recalled from that first night the Varia came to say _Hello, nit's ow time to die violently_.

"YOSH! Cheering ring time!"

Ryohei rushed forward, grabbed Spanner, and brought everyone into the circle.

"My partner is named Sarubūto," said the mechanic, ever helpful and willing to humor.

"Okay! Now extremely together! One, two, three..." The group took a deep breath and yelled, " **Sarubūto** **FIGHT**!"

Spanned quickly dodged out of the arms of Ryohei and Takeshi and headed back to his robotic partner with a nod to Tsuna, who was avoiding his eyes and blushing in the cold rain.

"OI! What's this, twig, you're too afraid to fight me?" Levi pointed at Spanner with a sneer.

Spanner sighed and tapped the waterproof and insulated mechanical inch-width ring he wore around the crown of his head. "I know my strengths and they don't lay in physical fighting. That's why Sarubūto will fight for me under my instruction. My _mental_ instruction, so don't mind me."

He then pulled his hood over his head and tugged up the collar of his rain jacket. What they didn't know won't hurt them. He wouldn't really be giving his autonomous and loyal partner any orders, though he could communicate through the circlet and offer suggestions, or silently call for help.

"You, woman, isn't that against the rules?"

"Robots count as a personal weapon."

Spanner patted Sarubūto and stepped back a few feet. "You want a challenge, don't you? You won't prove anything if you beat up someone no stronger than your average un-athletic teenage male."

Levi spat and glared. "Fine, you little shit, I'll fight your damn robot."

(Tsuna noted absently that the Cloud Officer was not among them. It stood out to him, but it won't be until a certain time that he understands why the presence of that robot put him so on edge.)

Spanner formed a polite smile and calmly waited along with his newest creation. As the seconds ticked by lightning truck the spires and flashed across the wire-covered roof, and Spanner didn't even flinch. Why? His boots automatically cycled the energy and released it back into the conductors harmlessly.

(The Varia members wondered aloud over the mechanic's footwear and Kyoko was the one to answer with a bright smile.

"Probably something he made. He's very clever!"

Which lead to speculation that in one way this kid was worthy of the Varia at least. In Levi's mind this translated to _Better than him and more suited as Right Hand of his boss._ )

Patience was not necessary, however, as right after the comments from the peanut gallery Levi went on the offensive and slashed at Sarubūto's side. The bot blocked with crossed forearms and slashed at him with the tail, the tail that was glowing a bright, bright pale green as it clipped Levi's swiftly dodging form. He released a startled yell as several hundred volts of electricity coursed through him and Sarubūto settled in front of Spanner protectively, as the intelligent AI deduced that its enemy's next target would likely be its human partner.

Levi was breathing out steam as he recovered and leveled a look of deadly promise on Spanner. He sent all eight sword-like umbrellas into the air with a snarled threat of imminent death. Each umbrella lit up fiercely with electricity and in response Spanner pulled out what looked like a metal version of the Japanese oil-paper umbrella with a needle sharp green gemstone at the top.

"Now DIE, you walking toaster!"

All at once a massive amount of electricity launched at Spanner and his battle partner, lighting the dark roof in stark, pale light that sent more than one heart speeding up in concern, but then something happened: the energy current dulled and disappeared until there was just Sarubūto still standing protectively before its creator, only now the clear quartz eyes were bright green with the body's absorbed and converted electricity.

Levi stared, rage momentarily forgotten. "Wh-what?"

Spanner decided to yawn quite audibly, figuring it would further enrage the man he decided fit right in with the neanderthals that attempted to take his Sarumane. Flustered people tended to make mistakes. Through the mental-band he asked Sarubūto to hold back on going batshit insane on his hide for the moment.

"Ah, that's just his absorption ability. Less genius and more common sense."

("Who is that kid, Squalo?" Mammon would really like to know. That boy had a prosperous future he might be able to poke his nose into.

"Cheh. He hung in the back last time, with two monkey robots. Kid must have a freaky fetish..."

"With his robotics he could improve certain projects, shishi~! The boss would like him better, I'm sure."

Squalo and Mammon stared at him but it was the latter that spoke. "Must you goad him? We'll have to pay more for the damages you know. I'm taking it out of your paycheck."

"Shishishi! It's worth the laugh."

Squalo, meanwhile, rolled his eyes unseen and thanked gods he didn't believe in that he no longer had to keep the nut jobs nuttier than himself in line alone. There was Xanxus to occasionally condemn them to.)

Levi was breathing steam for a different reason than getting partially fried on the inside. Those bastard "team mates" of his had said he uppity brat was more worthy of being Boss's Right Hand more than him in their subtle bastard ways. He had to show them that he was better than a brat barely out of his training diapers. It was time to rip off a limb or two.

Confident in his ability to destroy a stupid robot that probably had nothing on the Gola Mosca, Levi decided to go all out as he lunged with two of his extra umbrella's in his hands and attempted to take off the head of that troublesome robot. That did not work. His strikes were blocked by tail and forearm, and the bot _head-butted_ him, sending him flying back and skidding along the wet roof. Levi quickly got to his feet and dodged the lightning strike that flashed over the roof.

Spanner twirled his closed umbrella and as Levi traded more blows with Sarubūto Spanner put the crystal tip of the rain shield against a wire right as lightning struck. The gemstone lit up brightly and sparked as it absorbed the electricity. A just-in-case back-up move.

As the fight stretched on, with Sarubūto and the burly grump trading blow after blow and making the area flash with uses of Lightning, Spanner felt a chill zip down his spine. Levi managed to catch and hold Sarubūto at an odd angle, pausing the fight and following directly on that chill. The mechanic turned in time to have one of Levi's parabolas pierce his arm and tear right through his rain coat. The weapon stabbed into the roof beside Spanner and while maybe he was in shock (or shockingly resilient to pain), the mechanic made not a sound as he reached through the tear in his coat and withdrew his hand to see blood staining his fingers for a second before the rain washed it away.

In a cool, somewhat detached voice, Spanner said, "Sarubūto, Code Apple."

(Tsuna and the others were tense as they watched, but they could not see whether Spanner was bleeding or not. He didn't react to the attack beyond a flinch of shock.)

Sarubūto did not change in appearance, but there were now arcs of green electricity arching over the robot as it took advantage of the slight lock-hold Levi had on it. Sarubūto turned its head and bit Levi's shoulder, ripping a scream from the man, and then there was a massive swell of Lightning Flames from the robot as the Varia officer was damn near fried. Several seconds later the bot pulled back, showing a bloody maw, and dropped the twitching form of the officer. Spanner cleared his throat pointedly and stared at his robot when it turned toward him, and Sarubūto shook its head in what appeared to be exasperation as it knelt and put rubber covered finger pads to the man's throat.

 **"Enemy is alive. Permission to kick over the roof requested."**

Spanner pretended to think about it. "How about no. I think we've done enough damage."

(Squalo, Belphegor, and Mammon stared.

"You know, I fully expected useless children when I came here," said Mammon from the Bloody Prince's shoulder. "This is more interesting than I thought it would be."

"You mean how two of us are fucked already," said Squalo in a deadpan voice which matched his face. "Instead we get a well-trained baby Mafia, at least two of whom can use their Flames to some extent."

"Shishishi! I like the robot."

"Of course you do. It's got a bloody mouth," said Mammon in a wry tone.)

Sarubūto took the half-ring from Levi and dropped it into Spanner's hand. The boy joined it together and walked to Tsuna with a small, softly cheerful smile on his face.

"Look, Sora-chan, here's the ring." Spanner held up the ring and Tsuna took it before pulling the taller boy into a hug. "Ow. I'm a little wounded Sora-chan, literally."

Kyoko hurried forward and ran her Sun-glowing hand to the wound Spanner pointed out.

"I... I'm going to kill you all!" Behind the group Levi stood up and pointed a shaky parabola at them. "I c-can't lose for he boss!"

 **BAM.** Levi went sailing over the roof gunshot with an arc of blood.

"Sarubūto, ]fetch please."

The robot made an irritated sound and disappeared in a blur, only to return with the bleeding, unconscious Varia officer hanging off its shoulder. At Spanner's nod Sarubūto dumped the man down in front of Kyoko, who quickly started healing the large bullet wound in his back.

"Trash taking care of trash, how fitting," said the familiar, rumbling tone of Xanxus.

Tsuna stood straight and stepped in front of Kyoko as she continued healing Levi. Sarubūto was kneeling by her too, poised to knock the man out if he tried to hurt her, and so Tsuna felt he could concentrate on Xanxus without worrying. Fear mingled with anger as his Flame warmed pleasantly in the older man's Presence.

"From what I understand, a good boss makes sure his subordinates are at least alive enough to improve and grow," said Tsuna, with a deceptively mild glare on his face.

Xanxus focused his wine red eyes on him for a moment before throwing his head back and laughing.

"Babies know nothing, you stupid trash."

Tsuna bit his cheek but could not keep in his retort. "Good thing I'm not a baby then."

Xanxus sneered at him. "No, but you're still small enough to crush beneath my foot."

Tsuna flung a hand out, palm toward his friends, and silently signaled for them (specifically Gokudera) to keep quiet. Behind him the Storm grit his teeth and twitched his hands as he itched to strangle the Varia boss.

"We'll just have to see in our fight then, won't we?" Tsuna stomped down his odd Sky-born feelings and offered his best Cyanide Honey Smile with a shallow bow as kept his eyes on the Varia leader.

Xanxus raised an eyebrow. He didn't have enough fingers or toes to count how many Varia members have that sweet, innocently deadly expression to hide most of their insanity. He wondered where the brat learned it.

* * *

 **OMAKE,**

 _ **Observations from an Outside Party (Brought to you by review from Littlest1! Thank you!)**_

Verde is not known as the modern Leonardo da Vinci for nothing.

Ever since his men failed in assassinating the Vongola Tenth he has attempted on numerous occasions to get the suits back and to kill the one holding onto them. Not one try has worked and only ended in more of his tech getting stolen away, and if he wasn't determined to ignore the similarities, he might compare the situation to stupid children shows where the bad guys always lose to the goody two-shoe's heroes.

After his last attack with the child-sized robots Verde sent in a small hoard of micro-bots to observe Namimori and find out just who has been eating up his time.

Verde, through his fruit fly sized spy-bots, observed the child-Decimo training himself half to death. Watched the rest of his child-Mafia train themselves to the bone. That Fon had taken an interest in Tsuna, all but joining his fledgling Vongola, spoke well of the boy, and seeing how Fon took the time to train the Decimo's silver-haired Storm, that meant the Arcobaleno was very invested in things. Colonello training two students and passing on destructive skills is a surprise since he has so rarely taken on one student, forget about multiple. The Decimo's Cloud, son of the infamous _Shinigami_ Mitsuko, was also impressive, though Verde could not infiltrate her home with his bugs. Verde, in private, would admit that Sawada Tsunayoshi had gathered an impressive young Family already.

What took the cake was a trio of teenagers.

Aurelio Spanner, Shoichi Irie, and Miura Haru. Two were excellent in engineering at their age, the former more so in terms of genius robotics, and the last was a very good hacker who was a budding engineer. Verde had observed them from the window as they tinkered in the basement, bustling around, and putting together what seemed to be a micro EMP weapon. The girl was designing weapons too, and with a flare the boys patiently curbed to make more reasonable and realistic.

The more Verde observed of the three young techies and the rest of the Decimo's group, the more Verde found himself intrigued.

There was an odd power dynamic which he watched when everyone gathered after the fifth day of spread out training with other tutors, and it was puzzling. Tsunayoshi did not have the distinct air of a ruler, he was a relatively soft presence who did not man-handle his men into certain directions. He allowed them to move as they pleased, investigating the area to ensure it was secure, and only then did he ask them to gather in the thicket and trees before requesting his Mist to make a cover to hide everyone else. He kept beside him a Mist disguised Reborn, pretending to be pointing out stars, when the Varia minions arrived.

Watching Tsunayoshi fight was, in the simplest words, a vicious dance that would have ended in death had he been a killer. Instead the boy took care to utterly _shatter_ the bones in the three attackers thighs and arms after one attack nearly hit his disguised teacher, and not one taser-powered hit affected him in the least. Once he was done the boy easily kicked the men more than ten yards away, like he was punting a few balls.

That the kid did not flinch from Xanxus and his oppressive, powerful Presence was intriguing, that the boy _challenged_ it, whether consciously or not, forcing it back and swallowing the park with the lukewarm sensation, was fascinating. And then to see that Presence invert, going from warm to icy cold and observe the change affect the environment, freezing the grass and causing everyone to breathe out thick puffs of vapor.

Verde decided he might stick around and introduce himself to Tsunayoshi and his group. Hell, he might even take on the three techie kids as his own apprentices.

And then he'd unleash them upon the world and watch the insanity with a good cup of coffee...

* * *

 **I hope readers have enjoyed this so far, and I would appreciate it if you had patience. Writer's Block, infamous and hated, is a hard nut to crack even with a hammer of inspiration made from orichalcum!**

 ***NOTE*: For those who find this Tsuna and the story kinda hard to read because you feel like I hate canon!Tsuna, I'm sorry. I don't mean for this to come across as such, it's just the way things have been written out. I like Tsuna, he's adorable sometimes, and I kinda wanna smack him and help him along at the same time now and again, but I certainly do not hate him. I woudn't freaking read KHR if I hated someone so much I wrote a story to make him "better".**

 **** THE OMAKE: Is thanks to** _ **Littlest1**_ **for reminding me of Verde and whatnot. I would completely flake on him were it not for her! :3**

 **** FANBOYED: I hate it when I question myself on how to spell a word and then can't find a legit word for the word. So... deal with** _ **fanboyed**_ **? Cuz Luss is gay but has he** _ **legit**_ **identified as transgender at any point? Feel free to correct me!**

 **** Yes, Nana has yet to inform anyone of the divorce. Not even to Chrome. She's waiting until the current trouble is done with.**

 **** Should I stop letting my imagination get away from me? I imagine Kyoko to be such a freaking BADASS in my world, especially when someone threatens her loved ones.**

 **** LUSS: I don't see any of the Varia rushing in to catch him. It's a miracle he survived falling from hundreds of feet, but he IS Varia, so that's why. Also, he's a Sun. :D AND NOOO, he doesn't see Kyoko as a sexual conquest. He was just charmed and wants to adopt her! :D**

 **THANK YOU TO: Sailor Pandabear, Youmin, LioPyro7890, akinos, MissSexyRain, Fireofargentis, Guest 1, Natsu Yuuki, Guest 2, AngelR828, Kagekitsonegal, Kuroi Rin, otakuzen, Hall of the Laughing King, JUST SET ME ON FIRE, vampireharry the 2, Freaye, Arashi - IV of VI, EndlessChains, MoonShadow396, Yumi014, lotisflower5, Zivyx, Yana5, Pendraco, Littlest1, general zargon, and Youmin.** **Thank you for for advice on my question (on past or passed), your reviews, and your honest thoughts. :)**

 **As always critique and smothered squee inducing reviews are welcome. Again, if you hated this and absolutely must tell the world and me, go ahead and please tell me your reasoning (if you wouldn't mind).**


	24. Chapter 24

**TO THE READERS WHO COME BACK TO THIS FIC: Thank you. Thank you so much for your patience, and thank you to everyone who put forth the effort to PM me about it during this stupidly long absence.**

 **PS I'm still working on the other chapters, but here's the chapter. I hope y'all had an okay Friday the 13th.**

 **PPS. I bet this isn't the ideal time to update, but hey. I think it's a good time. People who come back will be back, and to them I am eternally grateful.**

* * *

 _ **"Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity." - George S. Patton.**_

* * *

"Lancia-san... how would you feel if I asked you to do something... not so nice on your end?"

The older male swirled his tea and looked straight into his Padrone's eyes. "I would do it."

Tsuna rubbed the knuckles of his gloves nervously. "There's no need to hurt anyone, and I don't forget that you have the choice to say no."

Lancia smiled warmly. "I understand that. You are a considerate boss, Padrone. Please, tell me what you need so that I may help."

Silence stretched on until Tsuna squared his shoulders and took a breath. "Ken and Chikusa. Do you hate them?"

"No... but nor do I pity or care for them at this time. If you wish for me to allow them to stay with me in my home..." The man flashed a crooked smile. "I will permit it, of course. They are still children, they need to eat more than they have been. There's just one problem..."

"Yeah, getting them to come and stay. Any advice on that?"

"They are defensive and don't want to be viewed as weak. Just watch how you speak to them, you might sway the two."

"Well... I sort of planned to let them stay at my place as a... trial run, kinda? To make sure they're really okay around others." Tsuna scratched his cheek and looked away. "I ran it by my mom already, and though she remembers the two... she doesn't hate them. She sees them like you, Lancia-san, as kids who need some help."

Lancia's expressioned warmed again and he looked down into his tea. "I see. Nana-san has as big a heart as you, Padrone. You are both blessed to have had each other."

A trickle of warm Intuition made Tsuna hide an excited grin behind his mug of tea. With a calming breath he smothered his smile and lowered his drink before drawing Lancia's attention.

"Thank you, Lancia-san. I'm sure my mom will always welcome your company and help around the house, if you wouldn't mind?"

Tsuna enjoyed the subtle shifting in Lancia's face; it showed a light in his eyes and a smile trying to form, further softening his naturally stern expression. The Mafioso then forced a solemn face and he nodded with hand over heart.

"I am honored, Padrone."

 **. . .**

Standing before the old gate to Kokuyo Land was like looking at a haunted photograph brought to life. The first time he went through was in a distracted save-his-son rush, the second was another rush to deliver food before hurrying back for more muscle burning training.

Chrome stood beside Tsuna, dressed simply in a cute sun dress of grey with blue roses embroidered along the hem and one over the heart. Tsuna wore his usual warm-weather outfit of shorts and a t-shirt with a sleeveless hoodie. As always his X27-Gloves adorned his hands.

Chrome had a nervous tension in her shoulders that Tsuna had taken note of as soon as they reached the wild, decrepit edges of the ruined amusement park. He had a plan. A loose one full of holes and probable pitfalls, but a plan none the less. One part in particular involved Mukuro caring enough about his minions to nudge them in Tsuna's direction so they didn't starve to death or get sick. If all else fails, Tsuna figured he could get Spanner to program one of his older monkey-bots to deliver food until the damn Ring Battles blow over.

Pushing away a flare of worry over the boldness of his next move, Tsuna reached out and took her hand in a gentle grip. She jumped, squeaked, and blushed as she ducked her head with a smile.

"Sorry, Tsuna-san... I'm worried I'll m-mess everything up and they won't come with us."

Tsuna shook his head and gave her hand a squeeze. "It's okay if they 'd rather stay here, don't let it bother you. Whatever happens, there's nothing that doesn't have some kind of solution."

Mist Flames enveloped Chrome and Tsuna bit his cheek to keep from reacting too tellingly as Mukuro wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close. One hand, gloved and feeling of leather, brushed against Tsuna's throat as the Illusionist smirked at him with an unholy looking degree of playfulness. That same hand went up along his neck and a warm thumb swiped across Tsuna's cheek.

"Always a solution, Tsunayoshi-kun? I believe you may be right."

A soft heat crawled over the Sky's skin and he grimaced at what must be a blush. "Yes. Now let go before I make you."

Mukuro chuckled and stepped back before disappearing once more. Chrome stood there, blushing darkly as she stuttered an apology over letting Mukuro take over. He hadn't been planning anything too weird, she would never, ever, let him in if she sensed any ill-will toward him or the rest of the younger Vongola generation. Tsuna, once more reminding himself to give Mukuro a little smack when he gets out of Vendicare, grabbed her hands and smiled sheepishly at her.

"It's fine, really! He's... a trickster, but he's not like a homicidal maniac anymore. I think."

Chrome gave his hands a squeeze and pulled away. "Let's go, Tsuna-san. Reborn-san said you only had a few hours, right?"

He nodded and they made their way through the health hazard of a park. Apparently she didn't find anything too questionable about his thoughtless reference to Mukuro's original desire toward the world, which may still exist somewhere. For all he knew they could be talking every day, and Tsuna thought that must be very good for his older Mist Guardian.

It took an hour to navigate by broken rides, climb over fallen buildings, and avoid various traps either unnoticed before or new and the result of understandable paranoia. Seeing Mukuro's old and horrifyingly rundown HQ was a bit jarring now that he allowed himself some time to really look. It ended up being Chrome gently tugging him forward that got him moving. Before they came within thirteen feet of the main entrance Chikusa and Ken appeared, stalking out with two different levels of threatening. Ken was plainly glaring as he sneered down at them with his arms crossed, and Chikusa was watching Tsuna with more caution than he did toward Chrome. Understandable, he is the one that had an up close meeting with Pissed Off and Protective Tsuna.

"What do you want, mafia scum?" Ken's fangs flashed in the sun as he stepped toward him and Chrome.

Chrome shivered and tensed, locking her knees in place to keep from stepping back, and Tsuna took a deep, calming breath.

"I offered Lancia Sanctuary before." Tsuna worked to keep his voice from shaking at all. "Looking back, part of me regrets not doing the same for you, though... I'm not sure the Vindice would've agreed."

Chikusa adjusted his glasses and nodded. "You are correct, Decimo. We were too integrated into Mukuro-sama's plots for them to allow us Sanctuary like him."

"They have Mukuro," Tsuna said, continuing in a voice that didn't quite hide his dislike of that. "And judging by Reborn's intel, they aren't actively searching for you."

Ken growled and stomped from away from the building and got right into Tsuna's personal space. "What makes you think we'd take whatever you're giving, you little shit-byon?"

If Tsuna had leaned forward a little his nose would have brushed against Ken's shirt, and though he didn't much care for the feeling of being loomed over by someone he'd yet to form a good friendship with, he pushed away his desire to kick the boy and looked up. Ken appeared a little gaunt, the scar more obvious against his paler skin, and Tsuna felt himself relax. They needed help, not anger or frustration.

"Obviously it's up to you," Tsuna said, speaking at a softer pitch as he held Ken's eyes. "I'm not here to force you to do anything, what I want is to offer you a place at my home."

Ken looked like someone smacked him with a barracuda, and Chikusa approached at a calm pace. "And what of your mother? We attacked her, you can't have forgotten that, Decimo. I find it even harder to believe that she could forgive what we did."

Tsuna's eyes flickered to Chikusa and only a shadow of discomfort could be seen. "I know you two attacked her... and there must be something broken in both our heads, since we've already forgiven you."

Ken's eyes narrowed and he grabbed Tsuna's shirt, hauling off the ground so they were face to face. "I think you're lying."

There was a wild edge in the other's narrow stare, heavy with fear, uncertainty, and maybe some hope. Tsuna ignored Chrome's squeak of alarm and gently gripped Ken's wrists, trying as hard as he could to radiate forgiveness and compassion, for all the good that it may do. He waited, holding Ken's eyes. It felt like the world held its breath, waiting for the wilder one to give him a chance, and when Ken's eyes darted down and alighted on the pink scar Tsuna still had, the other's grip loosened and he set Tsuna down, only to grab his left arm and turn it over to better see the shiny bite he'd left there months ago. It was a pale pink and slightly raised.

Ken's hand tightened slightly, gaze lingering on the scar. "I _bit_ you, mafia brat, like a fucking _animal_ , and you already gave us food before. You've got no reason for anymore charity."

Tsuna placed his hand on the one holding him up, and there was a warm little grin on his face. "Hey, it's not charity, and the scar doesn't matter to me. I've got plenty of 'em. What's one more?"

There was a short silence as Ken stared hard at Tsuna, taking his measure in so much as a wild, instinctual guy like Ken can, and just as Tsuna was expecting to get a headbutt to the face, Ken dropped him and backed up, looking distinctly uncomfortable.

"You've really gotta be messed in the head, Decimo," he said, squinting at a pile of dirt to the far side.

Tsuna smothered a bubble of excitement. "Is that a... y-yes or...?"

Chikusa said to wait as he and Ken talked quietly a few yards away. When they returned Tsuna was sweating and tugging nervously on his gloves. Ken walked right up to him and laid his elbow on his head, startling the young boss with how comfortable he was suddenly acting.

"We'll come with you. Free food is free food, right Kaki-pi?"

Chikusa nodded and adjusted his glasses with a finger. "We will watch our behavior and follow house rules, Sawada-san."

Tsuna worked to calm his hammering heart (he did it, _he actually did it!_ ) and smiled happily at Ken and Chikusa, totally ignoring the arm still resting on his head like it happened everyday. It usually did at some point since Takeshi liked to lean on him a little until Gokudera noticed and there would be some arguing (mostly one-sided as Takeshi asked Tsuna a question, purposely riling the Storm up further).

"Glad to hear it. Now, um, do you two need help grabbing your things?"

Ken backed up a step and gave Tsuna what he probably thought was a light smack on the back but in reality made the shorter teen stumble.

"Nah, we've got it, shrimp."

Once they disappeared into the building Tsuna felt a pulse of Mist at his side and turned to find Mukuro smirking down at him with clear amusement.

"You actually did it. I'm impressed, Tsunayoshi-kun. Ken can be as stubborn as a bull. Your mother will have a hard time getting him to shower regularly, I'm afraid."

Tsuna had to swallow back a laugh as a thought hit him. "Probably not. Knowing my mom she'll probably hit him with an illusion of being dunked in ice water or something. That would change anyone's mind."

Mukuro chuckled and tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Devious. I'll do it."

Tsuna smiled nervously and sent a mental apology Ken's way. His mother would have been gentle. Mukuro... ah, not so much.

The Mist Guardian stepped closer and pulled Tsuna against him. A sly grin was tugging at his lips as his eyes roamed the shorter males face as though examining a fine piece of art. Tsuna's cheeks started to go pink and his heart picked up speed. Really, what was wrong with him? He can't go falling for _all_ his friends and unrelated Guardians!

Looking to at least pretend he wasn't flustered, Tsuna put his hands on the other's torso and pushed lightly. "What do you want, Grabby Hands?"

"I propose an alliance, Tsunayoshi-kun. I will be your permanent other Mist Guardian, helping Chrome when she struggles in the heat of battle... and in return, you destroy the Vongola and make it your own."

Tsuna resisted the urge to squirm nervously. "I'm planning that anyway."

Mukuro leaned down, nose brushing Tsuna's as his smile grew amused. "Ah, but wait, my little Sky, I want your Vongola to destroy the Mafia world as well. Remake it and ensure that a certain nightmare will never happen again."

Tsuna blinked. "You want to protect other kids?"

Mukuro chuckled and pressed his forehead to Tsuna's. "I suppose that would be perfectly acceptable collateral. I simply don't want someone like me to be running around out there. After all, there's only room enough in this world for one true master of the Six Paths of Reincarnation going around causing chaos."

A sheepish smile lit Tsuna's face. "Oh, haha... right. What was I thinking?"

Mukuro's face turned thoughtful and Tsuna felt a shiver of warm Intuition before the Mist users soft lips pressed to his own. Mukuro then backed up and smirked at Tsuna's reddening cheeks.

"Keep dawdling with your confessions, little Decimo, and I will keep stealing kisses. You have no idea how _creative_ I can be."

Robotically Tsuna turned and walked away several paces, then pulled his hood up and over his head to hide his burning face. _Crap, crap, crap, crap infinity! And why haven't I gone and - right, I have to wait to punch Mukuro, otherwise I'm punching Chrome, and I'd rather eat my fist..._

Distinct chuckling behind him made his resolution harder to cling to. But then he smiled.

 _Let's see how high your voice goes if I kick you in the nuts._

 **. . .**

It was safe to say that neither Ken nor Chikusa had much memory of anything pleasant. They, and Mukuro, had been very young when the Possession Bullet was created and the two subordinates at least had pitifully vague recollections of being held by family and cared for.

The feeling of safety and warmth, of being so relaxed that every tense muscle pulled taught to react at a moments notice was eased, leaving a boneless feeling of being putty, had been as disturbing as it was pleasant for Ken. He had complained to Chikusa, saying that the stupid Decimo was trying to seduce him or fuck with his head, but mostly that was trying to see if Chikusa had felt it at any point too. It took some wheedling and avoiding the bath (which Ken gladly did), but eventually Chikusa admitted that Tsuna's presence was not dreadful in the least when he isn't bearing down on anyone like an angry dragon after they've hurt one of his friends.

Stepping out of the car, one driven by a member of the Disciplinary Committee, left Ken and Chikusa looking up at the home they had watched a number of times before the attack. It looked just as normal as before.

Tsuna stepped out of the vehicle with Chrome and said good-bye to Ferry Bird and watched him drive away. Giving the two teenagers a moment, the Decimo walked to the door with Chrome and waited there for them to make their way forward. They did after exchanging significant looks and a nod. As they approached Tsuna opened the door and let them in ahead, with Chrome leading them through and smiling shyly as they took off their dirty shoes and put them on the matt.

Ken was drooling. Chikusa's glasses were fogged.

The house smelled heavenly.

Tsuna waved them forward, looking as though he were restraining himself as he smiled cheerfully. "My mom's been cooking all day, so there will be a lot of left overs. Feel free to eat everything you can, and don't be afraid to go for midnight snacks."

Ken discretely wiped his mouth and Chikusa casually rubbed his glasses clear as they followed the boy with Chrome a gentle presence behind them. Down the hall they passed the entrance into the living room, passed the stairs, and into the kitchen where it looked like the table should be wobbling with the sheer amount of food placed on top. Elaborate silver platters and towers of plates on silver stands, like something out of a wedding, made the bulk of it. There was sushi, probably bought from Tsuyoshi, and bowls of thick soup, light rice balls, and steamed vegetables in addition to plates of lightly spiced pork and baked fish.

Tsuna wiped some drool of his own and caught Chrome giggling silently into her hand while watching him. He grinned helplessly.

No one can resist the siren call of good food. Especially his mothers.

As soon as Ken and Chikusa entered the room they felt Mist. It was different from what they recalled of Mukuro's. Warmer. Somehow sweeter. It was mixed with the natural Sky that has suffused the home for a year now, along with Lightning. Just standing inside the Decimo's home was an experience, one Ken couldn't quite put it into words, but if pressed Chikusa might grudgingly describe the sensations of mingling Flames of the Sky as welcoming, literally. To him if felt akin to the gentlest hug. Both boys were struggling to deal with such a nice sensation. How could it even exist in the same world they lived through hell in?

Nana smiled sweetly at them and gestured to the table. They headed over only after Tsuna and Chrome did, and both sat closer to them than Nana. The woman was plain spoken, something Tsuna was becoming used to, and she told them with determination shining in her sepia eyes, that they are welcome to stay for as long as they want. The past is in the past and what they do in the now, and what they plan to do in the future, is what she feels is most important.

"Besides, boys," Nana said, smiling and added a touch of poison to it, oddly complimenting the lingering warmth. They couldn't help shivering. Tsuna took a bite of food, so did Chrome, neither thinking to interject. Both had faith in her abilities as a mother and adult. "Neither of you have done enough to make me... truly angry. I really don't see either of you pushing me to the point where I have to threaten you."

Ken and Chikusa nodded. One had hidden his unease, the other was plainly freaked out.

Dinner was occupied mainly by Nana talking about various things they could do around Namimori, including the library, two community centers, the beach, hiking, and so forth. Tsuna chipped in now and then, saying that if either of them were interested in martial arts they should look into the Tsukinode Dojo, before quietly adding that it is where he learned how to fight like he does. This got the notice of Ken who was more of a brawler than Chikusa despite the other having more than enough strength for it. Chrome, who had taken the children to a few fast food restaurants, suggested a few to them and following this Tsuna told them of his favorite bakeries.

With dinner done and Chrome in the kitchen helping with the dishes, Tsuna brought Ken and Chikusa to the living room. Ken took the chance to ask Tsuna if his mom learned how to cook from the gods, but Chikusa spoke over his bath-averse companion and asked about sleeping arrangements.

"Well... um, I was thinking we could share my room for a while, at least until the basement is fixed up for you both." Tsuna chuckled, feeling awkward. "Chrome is going to share my mom's room until you two get sick of staying here."

Ken scratched at the scar over his nose. "Sounds good. I'm fine with that-byon."

Chikusa was quiet for a moment. "Same."

 **. . .**

That things were oddly... normal, even considering the physical reminder of theirs and Mukuro's torments through scars briefly shown when changing into pajama's.

Ken and Chikusa were set up on the floor with sleeping bags his mother had pulled out from somewhere. Comfortable squishy ones. She visited a few hours before they went to sleep, bringing honey sweetened green tea with light cookies, and a warning not to go to bed too late.

Tsuna was never the greatest conversationalist when he had to come up with something on his own. He felt a bit like a fish out of water sometimes when not in "Mafia-Boss-Angry-Lion Mode" where he always felt so certain and strong because he was protecting and following his Intuition. That much-beloved part of himself was quiet that evening and he wasn't sure what to say or how to act now that they were in his bedroom.

It felt odd having them there. Not wrong in the least, but somewhere between discomfort and contentment.

When neither Ken nor Chikusa showed signs of sleeping, with their breathing patterns remaining decidedly unrelaxed, he made conversation. Rather, he brought up the topic of movies and started describing his favorite films, TV series and anime. Mostly the movies and anime. By the time twelve rolled around he had gotten Ken wanting to watch Porco Rosso and Princess Mononoke. Chikusa expressed interest in Steamboy and Fullmetal Alchemist. He even showed them some of his manga with a flashlight because that little detail felt fun.

He got the feeling they relaxed around him more once he started gushing about things.

Nothing quite as disarming as being a nerd about stuff.

 **. . .**

Tsuna stood before the bathroom mirror, taking in every scar he had accumulated over the course of his life. A life that, though rather horrible at one time, was infinitely better than the three survivors of the Estraneo experiments.

From falling down the stairs in school and splitting his cheek, to getting his face and mouth sliced by the glass from a window display someone knocked him into. It was impressive, he supposed in a distant, almost clinical way. Many of the scars are faint and from accidents that could have, but did not, kill him. Each one was a testament to how strong he is, how much of a survivor he has grown into.

There was not a single scar he possessed that was worth shame. _Not. A. Single. One._

He dragged his eyes from a pink scar on his belly, one of the old bullet wounds, and made himself look at the four somewhat ragged scars going across his chest and clavicle. With a steadying breath he made himself remember.

A choking hand crushing his throat. A bruising grip on his wrists, grinding his bones together. Dirty, filthy tasting cloth shoved in his mouth, deep enough to nearly choke. Nails digging into his skin, tearing across his chest. Hot blood dripping down his flesh. The sheer terror and helplessness. Feeling dirty and weak and somehow so stupid.

It had happened. His mother saved him. The marks had healed quickly enough. It was never happening again.

It would never happen to anyone he knew.

If he found someone attacking another, regardless of whether they shared the same reprehensible intentions he would make sure they never got the chance to hurt anyone else. Not via death, because in death suffering ceases, and he lacked the heart for murder. They would never walk again, maybe never move anything below their necks.

He was Nana's son. The boy who had wonderful friends in an eclectic group of the best teenagers, and even adults, that he felt anyone could have in their lives. And they looked to him as a leader of a kind, or they looked at him with true respect. Which was still scary when he let himself dwell on it. They trusted him. They knew, like he did, that he was strong. He _had_ to be strong to protect them and anyone else he wanted to extend that protection to. He could be stupid at times, think the silliest references, and he could be a little bit of a spazz still in other instances, but he had their full trust. Their faith.

They believed in him. He would start truly believing in himself and letting things go.

Starting with those fucking scars.

 **iOiO**

 **This is a serious moment for my incarnation of Tsuna. Will that last bit be addressed again? Oh, definitely. After the ring battles.**

 **TO REVIEWERS WITH Qs AND SUCH:**

 **GUEST: About a Xanxus-centric Omake... sounds like a fun challenge. Pelt me gently with frozen veggies for OOCness. ON THE TOPIC OF XANXUS, if there's romance between him and Tsuna it will be a non-"canon" Omake with TYL!CdC!Tsuna.**

 **REVIEWERS (of any chapter from Dec 9th and on, cuz some are like reminders): Yana5, Littlest1, Arashi - IV of VI, vampireharry the 2, L's Capuccino, Ominous Rain (nice name change!), SleepyMangaHead, DragonWriter77, Kuroi Rin, EndlessChains, Akayuki Novak (x2, ch19-20), knightessjg, someonesavewillgraham, o0Golden-Moon0o, Zivyx, Guest, BlackxDragonxEmperor, lovleydragonfly, MoonShadow396, Natsu Yuuki, general zargon, vampireharry the 2, Blazin'Blue, Zivyx, Arashi - IV of VI, mirrorthatreflectsit, RavenWhiteMoi, Littlest1, sympatheticassassin, EndlessChains, Fireofargentis, Yana5, Kuroi Rin, Ominous Rain, Natsu Yuuki, lovleydragonfly, Guest, Forgottenpast22, Forgottenpast22, Animaniac100, trolollol (guest), Kagekitsonegal, general zargon, Littlest1, pendraco, Yana5, Zivyx, lotisflower5, Yumi014, MoonShadow396, EndlessChains, Freaye, vampireharry the 2, JUST SET ME ON FIRE, mirrorthatreflectsit, otakuzen, Kuroi Rin, Kagekitsonegal, Guest, Natsu Yuuki, Guest, Fireofargentis, Ominous Rain, LioPyro7890, Youmin, Sailor Pandabear, BladeofHell56, Yana5, JUST SET ME ON FIRE, Littlest1, general zargon, Blazin'Blue, Forgottenpast22, Arashi - IV - VI, Minaly22, BlackxDragonxEmperor, mirrorthatreflectsit, MoonShadow396, 7, mato black rock shooter, Yumi014, LioPyro7890, knightessjg, EndlesChains, Kuroi Rin, Kagekitsonegal, S, Sailor Pandabear, vampireharry the 2, LittleSnowChild, LyrialRaito, Guest, Shinozuka Kou, Ominous Rain, Guest, HinekoAkahi, ezcap1st, HinekoAkahi, Nami Heartfillia, Tiallds, NaruShika-Forever, Natsu Yuuki, Twitch101, TheNonDePLume, Breath after Death (x2, ch18-23), roxsandf, ReadingIsAllIDo, lady sakura cosmos, GemCat167, TSuki no Ciela27, Lector Dominion, Guest, Cogan, SilverMidnightKitten, Lady La-sara, Guest, AutumnsFey, SabakuMoon, blueguy100, wildman90, FallenNiji, Foxluna, Solera, knightessjg (x2, ch12-22), ponyo, ShadowPhoenix15, Meian Kurayami, , Cyril Asa Moriarty, dragonwingz13, The Third Biker Scholar, apolyon101, aoinobara13, MayaHikari, Jazebeth, CrystalVixen93, Sue, No Name, hotxhotguy, SuJuFan, Kelly, Guest, NoirxAnge, HighAnimeFangirl, Draconis-in-the-Sky, IgnisFelicis, puregarnet, Kitty Kat Vixen (x2, ch1-16), Neko-chan33155, 917brat, Anonymous, thebizarrehairtrio, Guest, Guest, Guest, Guest, TanashinoSuzume, Guest, Guest, Darkness7913, Talliana, Red Distress (x2, ch13-23), ArchimedesAckermann, Guest, Guest, ILove Puncakes, shinigame3, xNightshadexx, Yoru-no-Ookami, GNY-002 Gundam Sadulsuud, akinomatis, Guest, Guest, Shadow Silvertongue, Youko Artemis, Jarjaxle, DreamsRMyLife, Guest, KyoudaiDoushi, Sanz0girl, Yoru-no-Ookami, DarkPirateKing69, APopToxinWorshipper (x2), Lulumo, kyothefallenkit, Ebona Nite, Bookmeister999, Guest, belladus57.**

 **This is just... an insane amount of reviews for me. For this fic which could be written a lot better even after editing and rewriting parts, but I don't have the heart or desire to scrap CdC to redo it all.**

 **Thank you,** _ **thank you**_ **, to each and every one of you. A good chunk of the above names are from chapters 20-22 among others. I have a procrastination problem, but by this point I think every single reader is well aware of that. I probably won't get to answer every single review, but those who have questions in your reviews I WILL get to you, or at least leave a reply in the pre-chapter stuff. [Oct27th/16 Edits - Dec 28th, Adding Names, combing over the chapter.]**


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